DarkFlight
by Steampunk Wilson
Summary: The elemental masters have all grown up in a discreet location, shielded from the 'hatred' of normal humans. Only Cecilia Wood, Master of Wind believes otherwise. But when a chance for a better life arrives in the form of the mysterious Master of Earth, the escape is made, and elemental masters both past and present will have to unite in order to take down the enemy: DarkFlight.
1. Chapter 1

**I know 'The Lightning Phantom' is still in the works, but I'm suffering from my first writer's block in years, so I decided to post this. I wish I owned Ninjago, but I don't. Enjoy! :)**

"Oh My God, he's adorable!" Nya gasped. Lloyd grinned sheepishly.

"He takes after his mother." He said, smiling at Harumi, who was staring at her son with an expression of pure, unconditional love. The baby was sleeping, a few wisps of pale blonde hair clinging to his head. His lashes were pale as well, and a few freckles were dotted on his cheeks.

"I wonder how Skylor's doing?" Jay wondered as he admired Lloyd's son.

"Still in labour." Nya told him. "Kai's in there with her."

"I hope he can come back soon." Harumi said, stroking her son's hair. "I want him to be able to meet his godson."

Their reactions were as expected.

"Whoa, Kai's becoming a father, AND a godfather in one day!" Jay exclaimed.

"Yeah, he's my best friend, we thought it would be best." Lloyd smiled.

"Who could have thought Jay's twentieth could have such an effect on all our lives." Nya grinned. "Sooo, what are you going to call him?"

"Well, we were thinking, since he'll already have my father's name as a surname," Lloyd told them. "We decided to name him after Harumi's father."

"Which one?" Jay asked.

"The emperor." Harumi said. "My real father was called Grandville. That's just going to be a middle name."

"So it's Gideon Grandville Garmadon." Zane said. "I like it."

"So," Came a chilling voice. "Do we."

Jay, Nya, Lloyd and Harumi jumped in surprise. At the door stood three men, all wearing black suits and sunglasses. The ninja frowned, and moved instinctively between Harumi and the men.

"It's February." Jay said, in face pressed into a scowl. "You don't need sunglasses."

The men ignored him.

"Agent Cooper, DarkFlight." The man held out a card. Nya took it, and gasped.

"What is this?!" She gasped. Agent Cooper cleared his throat.

"A certain section of government has taken an interest in said 'elemental masters'." He said. "We have permission from highest ranking authority to take into our custody any citizen of elemental property in Ninjago. So, if you please..."

"No!" Lloyd gasped, suddenly afraid. His heart started beating faster than he had felt it before. He stepped forwards, his hands clenched into fists. "You are not touching my son!"

"Lloyd, this is a genuine court order!" Nya gasped. "Fucking hell, you're breaking the LAW!"

"I don't care!" Lloyd shouted. In one lightning fast movement, he had drawn a knife from inside his jacket sleeve and was pointing it at the men.

"If you do not leave right now," Lloyd spat, breathing hard. "Then I will SKEWER YOU LIKE A KEBAB, YOU HEAR ME?! GET THE FUCK OUT! NOW!"

The men didn't move.

"Fuck!" Jay gasped, and grabbed Lloyd around the waist to prevent him from launching himself at the men.

"Lloyd, calm down!" Harumi gasped, but she was hugging Gideon to her chest, shielding him from the government agents.

"Nya, get Harumi out now!" Jay gasped to his girlfriend, still trying to restrain Lloyd. Nya nodded, and helped Harumi up from the bed. The princess held Gideon tightly, and looked worriedly at her boyfriend, struggling against Jay.

"Come on!" Nya pulled her towards the room's window. With one last, despairing look at Jay, Nya pulled Harumi out of the window and formed her dragon, flying the pair of them to safety.

Lloyd shrugged Jay off at last and rounded on the men.

"I would go, if I were you." Jay gasped, recovering himself.

The men didn't move.

"We will have the elemental masters." Agent Cooper said. "All of them." He took a step forwards, rolling up his shirt sleeves.

"Oh bring it ON!" Lloyd growled.

Far away, Jay heard a female scream.

"Skylor!" He gasped. "Oh shit, THEIR BABY!"

Lloyd launched himself at Agent Cooper.

...

"Oh my God, what happened!" Nya gasped as she and Harumi re-entered the hospital corridor. It was a wreck, burnt and cracked. A few pieces of ceiling had fallen.

There was a stirring motion from a pile of rubble. Harumi gave a gasp and ran forward to pull the figure out. Her face fell as she realised it wasn't Lloyd.

"Kai!" Nya gasped, and ran towards her brother. He gave a small moan, and sat up. His eyes widened he clutched Nya's arm. "Skylor!" He shouted. "Where is she, SKYLOR?!"

"I'm here!" Came a voice as the red-headed young woman emerged from a cupboard, a baby clutched in her arms.

"Oh, Skylor!" Kai gasped in relief, and jumped up, running over. She collapsed into his arms and started to cry, her child shoved into Kai's arms. He tucked his arm around his girlfriend as she sobbed into his chest.

"They were going to take our daughter!" Skylor sobbed. "Kai, what do we DO?"

"Skylor, where are the others?" Nya asked, trying to keep calm. "Where's Jay?"

Skylor wiped her eyes. "Back in the cupboard." She said. "He was knocked out, and I managed to drag him in."

Nya gave a nod of thanks and ran into the cupboard. Harumi took a step forwards, still worried over Gideon, though he was back in Zane's apartment, under the ice ninja's protection. "Where's Lloyd?" She asked, scared to know the answer. Skylor looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry." She said. "They took him. They knocked him out with some... stun gun. And took him with them."

Harumi clapped a hand to her mouth, and slowly dropped herself to the floor. He was gone. Her boyfriend, the only one she had left, gone.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Nya asked, coming out of the cupboard, having been unable to lift the unconscious Jay.

"Those men, DarkFlight, they said, they'll be back." Nya said. "They'll never stop coming after our children, all the children we're going to have. All the elemental masters."

"What do we do?" Kai asked, staring down at his daughter in disbelief.

"We protect them." Harumi said in a strong voice as she stood up from the floor. "All of them."

 **The DarkFlight name is a take on of BlackWing from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. The two organisations are very similar, only BlackWing has more success in rounding up the people who are 'different'. I don't own this TV show either.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note**

"We've located the master of wind." Kai told Jay, Nya and Skylor. it had been a few years since DarkFlight had first entered Ninjago Royal Hospital. Under the ninja's request, a new generation of elemental masters would emerge, and would be raised in a safe location. Some lived there now. Children were easier to protect, easier to hide from a world they had never known. But there were still many elements out there DarkFlight could get their hands on.

"Is someone collecting her?"

"Zane. But there may be problems. You see, she's already six years old."

"Damn." Nya muttered. "She'll have to come." She told her brother. "Let's just hope she doesn't have the best memory."

"I thought Morro was the Master of Wind." Skylor asked.

"Turns out, Morro got a little busy before he died." Kai waggled his eyebrows.

"Well, his daughter can't be as bad as he was."

 ** _...Twelve Years Later..._**

"Come DOWN Cecy, before you fall!"

Cecilia Wood ignored her best friend Lauren and climbed higher into the tree.

"I won't fall!" Cecilia called down. "And besides, if I do, the wind will just catch me." Cecilia let Lauren worry and climbed until she could almost see the other side of the wall, the wall that was made of Vengestone, unbreakable and immovable. Cecilia had grown up inside that wall, but unlike her peers, she remembered what it was like outside. She remembered the village where she had been born, remembered her mother telling her about her father, a short relationship, which had left her with the greatest gift of all. Cecilia.

Cecilia knew this wasn't the life she was meant to live. She was eighteen now, and should he leaving home, going to live in her very own apartment in Ninjago City. But instead she was caged up like a bird. And Cecilia wanted to be free.

"If you don't come down right this instant Cecy, I swear to God I will burn down that tree!"

Cecilia gave a groan of annoyance. She still wasn't high enough to see over the wall. Kicking the tree trunk which supported her, she wanted to scream in frustration. How could she escape if she couldn't even see the outside!

A gong sounded from the building.

"You hear that? Dinner time." Lauren called. "Now get your ass down that tree!"

Cecilia took one last desperate look at the setting sun, then made Lauren scream by leaping out of the tree, and only avoiding injury by blowing air from her hands, slowing her descent.

"Don't DO that!" Lauren gasped.

"Come on." Cecilia said moodily. "Dinner's ready. And if your don't move fast, Hannah will take the seat next to Gideon."

Lauren and Cecilia jogged up to the building where they had grown up. Cecilia was the only one of the children who hadn't been raised here. She was the only one who didn't believe the outside world scorned people like them because they were different. That they needed to be protected.

"Do you ever think we'll get out of this place?" Cecilia asked Lauren as they slipped into the building. The Master of Fire groaned.

"Not this again!"

"But Lauren-"

"No Cecy!" Lauren snapped, rounding on her friend. "I trust my father. And the others. What would they gain from lying? But you... with your ideas about the outside world..."

Cecilia walked away from Lauren without another word. She heard her friend calling after her, but ignored her, feeling the hot tears form in her eyes. She scowled. She would get away, no matter what it took.

...

Dinner was it's usual, noisy affair. Eighteen children and adolescents sat around one long table, eating, arguing and cracking jokes. Lauren didn't sit with Cecilia, like she usually did, and sat between her little sister Delia, and Gideon, or 'triple G' as people sometimes called him.

Cecilia found herself with the genuine 'outcasts' of the group, Josh Mortmain and Tabitha Shawl. Josh was a little younger than Cecilia, fifteen years old, and was the classified 'weirdo'. He was the only one who actually believed Cecilia when she said the outside world wasn't so bad. He was just too scared to stand up to authority. Tabitha was the newest member of the elemental masters, only six years old, Master of Form. Josh had taken it upon himself to take her under his wing.

"Whoa, I'd love to be able to jump from that height and not break a bone!" Josh exclaimed as Cecilia told him about her evening.

"Couldn't you just disappear into a shadow on the way down or something?" Cecilia asked. Josh shook his head and took a bite of potato.

"It doesn't work that way." He told her. Cecilia sighed. She was pretty sure Josh didn't like using his power, in fact, she was almost certain it terrified him. Waste, she thought grumpily. In order to distract herself from her gloom, she tuned in on a conversation being held a few feet away by two of the guards.

"Yeah, they tracked down the master of earth at last. Hadn't heard from his father since he quit being a ninja all those years ago."

"Making that awful racket upstairs, is he?"

"Yeah, he's-" The guard suddenly noticed Cecilia listening in, and ushered his partner away. Cecilia turned back to her meal, frowning. It sounded like there was a new kid, one who possibly knew what the outside world was like. Which meant Cecilia needed to speak to him. She turned to Josh.

"Can you make a distraction?" She asked him. He looked up.

"Huh, what?"

"I need a distraction!" Cecilia said, annoyed. "I need to get somewhere fast, but without being noticed. Can you distract them for me?"

"Cecilia, I don't think-"

"Just DO it, Josh!" Cecilia snapped. "Use your powers, anything, but I need to get away."

"Erm, OK." Josh took a deep breath, and stood up.

"Oh My God, there's a WORM in my POTATO!" Everyone looked up, and the started examining their own food, complaining loudly. Cecilia managed to slip out without being spotted. She sighed in relief.

"Now, to find this 'Master of Earth'." She said to herself, and set off.


	3. Chapter 3

Cecilia moved through the building silently, knowing every corridor, every hiding spot, what was behind every door. Except on the top floor, which was where she was heading now. If there was a place to hide a child, it would be the top floor. None of the elemental masters were allowed up there.

There was a guard stationed at the top of the stairs. Of course, Cecilia thought as she ducked behind the banister. There was definitely something important up here. Cursing, she wondered what to do next. If she used her power, they would know it was her. But there was no way to sneak past the guard, she wasn't Harvey Chandler, and couldn't turn invisible.

Cecilia watched the guard chewing gum. he was younger than most of the others, which was why he seemed to have 'borrowed' one of her peer's gum. Watching him blow bubbles gave Cecilia an idea. A very risky, crazy idea.

The guard worked away at his gum, unaware of the eighteen year old flying above his head. Cecilia was using her wind element as gently as she could in order not to attract attention. She hovered over the guard, thanking her lucky stars for the high ceilings. Eventually, she made it past him, and set herself down in the corridor behind.

"Nailed it!" Cecilia muttered happily, and suddenly rolled down the corridor as she saw the guard stiffen and turn. She cursed herself again, why hadn't she just kept QUIET!

The guard turned back again, and Cecilia let out a sigh of relief. Only then did she hear the voices.

"I can't believe that he's really Cole's son!" Came one of them. Fascinated, Cecilia drew closer. She peered into a small room with two battered sofas, a mini-fridge and a TV, which was playing some kind of talent show. But what was most intriguing was the people inside the room. There was a red-headed woman sat on one of the sofas, tucked against a taller, brown haired man who bore a striking resemblance to Lauren. This must be her father, which meant that these people were the mysterious 'ninja', the parents of Lauren, Delia, Owen and Jemisa. They were at the top of authority, and scarcely ever seen by the elemental masters.

"Yeah, believe it or not, he built quite a life for himself after he abandoned us." A woman entered Cecilia's line of vision, cracking open a can of something. There was another man with her, who threw himself down on the empty sofa and opened a bag of crisps. "I just feel guilty about taking his son away."

"It's what's best." The man with the crisps placed a hand on her arm as she sat down next to him. "At least he wasn't taken by DarkFlight."

Cecilia crept away from the room. She had heard enough to know that there was another child in the building, one whom had grown up outside. She needed to get to him.

Cecilia reached the end of the corridor where there was just one door. It was made from Vengestone. She smiled. That meant it almost certainly contained an elemental master. Just to show that fate was on her side, the keys were hanging on a hook next to the door. Cecilia took a long look down the hallway before using them. This was the most rules she had ever broken at once. But she needed to know.

Cecilia pushed open the door and stuck her head around the door, and had to immediately duck as a large rock was thrown at her head. She glared in the thrower's direction. "Do you MIND? I'm trying to HELP you know!"

"You're not a guard!" The thrower said, sounding almost disappointed. Cecilia got the chance to look at him properly. He was a tall boy, around her own age, with spikey hair so black it had to have been dyed. He had several heavy metal studs and piercings in his ears, and wore thick, black eyeliner. His clothes were like nothing any of the other children wore, a leather hoodie and scruffy, dark jeans, with a silver chain lying atop of his collar bone. There was a light grey tattoo of a cobra on his neck. He was unmistakeably an emo.

"I should hope not." Cecilia told him, slipping into the cell so she wouldn't be seen from the outside. "I'm Cecilia Wood, Master of Wind. Did you grow up away from here?"

"Duh!" The boy muttered darkly. "I was kidnapped on my way to my mate's house!"

"So, there's no need for elemental masters to hide themselves away in this place?" Cecilia asked eagerly. "You are an elemental master, aren't you?"

"Yeah." The boy held up his hand and a rock appeared in it. "I'm Roy. Master of Earth. Why would you hide out in this place?" He started kicking the wall in a sudden bout of frustration.

"So it's not true!" Cecilia gasped, and reached out to the wall to steady herself. She had been RIGHT, all these years, she had been right! No one had believed her, but here was living proof, in the form of this boy, Roy. Roy the emo boy.

"You can prove it to them!" Cecilia exclaimed, delighted. Roy looked up from kicking the wall.

"Err, excuse me?" He asked.

"To the others, other kids, who think we're here to be protected! You could prove it's safe out there!"

Roy shook his head, looking at Cecilia like she was crazy. "I'm not proving shit to anyone!" He told her, scowling. "I'm getting out of here and going back the FUCK HOME!"

"Oh, come ON!" Cecilia gasped. "I've been waiting years to prove this, I'm the only kid here who remembers what it's like out there! I need to get... I don't know, some kind of revolution going here, so we can be free!"

Roy sighed. "Look, you seem nice, so I'll agree on a compromise. I'll take you with me."

Cecilia gave a small gasp. Get out. Get back to her mother. Live a normal life. Away from all these other children. Free.

"OK." She said.

 **I understand I've introduced quite a few child elemental masters, so I'll clear things up for you guys: Lauren Smith-Fire. Delia Smith-Amber. Owen Walker-Lightning. Jemisa Walker-Water. Cecilia Wood-Wind. Roy-Earth. Josh Mortmain-Shadow. Tabitha Shawl-Form. Harvey Chandler-Light. Gideon Garmadon-Energy. Hannah Shard-Smoke. And there's some more who haven't been introduced whom I'll probably get to at the end, or later on.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note**

Cecilia and Roy crept along the corridor, as quietly as they could. Dinner was almost over, which meant they didn't have long to escape.

"This place is BIG!" Roy whistled as he looked at the many doors lining the corridor.

"This is where us kids sleep." Cecilia told him. "See the names on the door, and the symbols. That shows what we're the master of."

Roy looked at one of the doors. "Cheek." He muttered. "Look, Master of Earth! Like I'd sleep here!"

"We've just got to get downstairs and outside." Cecilia told him. "Then we'll-" But it was too late. Already, the sound of teenage chatter was emerging from the staircase, and the shadows of her peers were appearing.

"Shit!" Cecilia gasped, and grabbed Roy's arm, pulling down the corridor.

"Why are we going back, we can't go back!" Roy complained.

"We're not!" Cecilia told him, arriving at her own door. She threw it open and shoved Roy inside, throwing herself in after him and slamming the door just in time.

"Whew, that was CLOSE!" Cecilia exclaimed. Roy got up from the floor, which was where he had ended up.

"Nice digs." He told her. Cecilia's room was pretty large, like most of them, had a balcony and several bookshelves. Most of the shelves were empty, for access to outside-world-items was limited.

"Yeah, well I never want to see it again!" Cecilia muttered, feeling like kicking the wall herself. "We'll have to wait ages for everyone to go into their rooms, and even then, security will tighten..."

"Or," Said Roy frowning. "We could escape out of the balcony." Cecilia felt like kicking herself now.

"Err, good plan." She told Roy.

Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door.

"Cecilia, are you in there?" Came a voice.

"It's Josh!" Cecilia whispered to Roy. "Don't worry, he'll just go away." They waited in silence, but there was a sudden scrabbling at the door and Josh threw it open, slamming it behind him and doing up the bolt.

He turned and saw Cecilia.

"You are in here!" He exclaimed.

"Josh, what the hell?" Cecilia gasped, very aware of Roy, standing by the balcony doors.

"It was Ross and Robert Dulgatoe, they would have tied me to the ceiling with vines again, I had to hide-" Josh looked up from Cecilia and saw Roy. He gasped.

"Don't freak out!" Cecilia warned.

"Who the fuck is this?!" Josh squeaked.

"Roy, Master of Earth." Cecilia told him. "Me and him are getting out tonight!"

"That's why you wanted that distraction, isn't it?" Josh asked, frowning at Roy. Cecilia nodded.

"Now, I think the twins will have gone by now." She told him. "Go, and don't tell anyone else about this." Josh looked angry.

"Wait, you were seriously going to leave, without me?" He gasped. Cecilia gasped as well. She hadn't even considered bringing Josh.

"You know I don't want to spend the rest of my life in this shithole!" Josh snapped. "And you were prepared to leave me!"

"Josh, I, I'm sorry. I didn't think..." Cecilia sighed. "Of course you can come." She looked at Roy. "Can't he?"

"Whatever!" Roy muttered, looking agitated. "But we gotta go soon."

"Let me just get Tabby." Josh said, undoing the bolt. Cecilia shook her head.

"She'll just slow us down!" She argued. "If we're going to get away, it's got to be as fast as possible, and before final lights out. We can't bring a six year old!"

"Whoa, she's right." Roy told him. "Listen little weirdo, kids aren't fast."

Josh scowled. "I'm all she has. I'm surprised you're prepared to leave Lauren behind." He took a deep breath. "Either Tabitha comes with us, or I tell every guard in this place where you're going!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Cecilia said angrily.

"I would!" Josh snapped.

"For FUCK's SAKE!" Roy groaned, and started kicking Cecilia's bedroom wall.

"Stop that!" Cecilia snapped. Then she glared at Josh

"She's the Master of Form." Josh said. "She can disguise herself as a guard, a getaway horse, anything!"

"Urgh, fine!" Cecilia groaned. "But if you are not back in two minutes, we are going without you!"

Josh nodded and stormed out.

"Let's just go!" Roy complained. "Coast is clear for once!"

"Josh is fast, and if we leave without him, he'll get us caught." Cecilia told him. Josh was fast, he appeared scarcely twenty seconds later, leading (to Cecilia's shock) Cecilia!

"It's OK, you can change back now." Josh told the other Cecilia, who surrounded with purple light and re-appeared as a much shorter six year old girl. Roy whistled.

"Impressive." He muttered. "Come on, we can Airjitzu down to the gate, then over the wall..." He noticed Cecilia, Josh and Tabitha looking blankly at him.

"What's Airjitzu?" Tabitha asked.

"Oh My Bloody God, please don't tell me you can't do Airjitzu!" Roy moaned. Josh looked at Cecilia.

"Do you want to break it to him, or shall I?" He whispered.

"Oh fucking hell." Roy groaned. "You grow up as elemental masters under the control of the ninja and they didn't bloody teach you Airjitzu!"

"I can use my element to fly." Cecilia said. "But I don't know about Josh and Tabitha."

Tabitha took a deep breath, and her body slowly shrank until she re-appeared as a sparrow.

"Form is a powerful element!" Roy exclaimed. Then he looked at Josh. "What can you do?"

"Erm, nothing really..." Josh murmured.

"You're going to have to use your power Josh!" Cecilia told him. "Turn into a shadow or something, like we discussed at dinner."

Josh gave a shaky nod.

"Coast's clear, go, go GO!" Roy told them. Tabitha flew out of the balcony doors and away. Cecilia was next, she took a deep breath and leapt out of the window. It was just like falling from the tree, only she had to keep hidden. The wind supported her as she sailed over the base of the building, and managed to land on the ground. Tabitha flew down and landed next to her.

"Don't change back." Cecilia told her.

"You're up, shadow boy." Roy told Josh, who was visibly shaking at the idea of jumping out the balcony. With a groan of annoyance, Roy shoved him off the balcony.

Josh tried not to scream as he fell three stories towards the concrete ground, and pretty much managed it. He saw the shadows of the lower rooftops, and aimed for them, something he'd never done before. He managed to transport his body through a shadow vortex and landed on the low rooftop, gasping for breath. He slid off the roof and to the ground, coming over to Cecilia and Tabitha.

"That was cool, Josh!" Cecilia exclaimed. Josh gave a shrug, trying to look cool, and not afraid. There was a whirring sound as a brown tornado landed next to them and dissolved into Roy.

"Come on!" He whispered fiercely, and crept towards the gates to the Vengestone wall. Of course they were guarded, but that was nothing a few rocks didn't fix. Josh transported himself (rather nervously but trying not to show it) through another shadow vortex to check if it was all clear on the outside. He came back a few seconds later.

"Yeah, it's fine." He told them. "There's a trail leading away through the trees, and a truck just about to leave. If we're quick, we can get on."

"Good." Cecilia said. The wall was Vengestone, which meant elemental powers didn't really work near it, so Roy used more rocks created from nothing in order to bash the lock open.

"That was flimsily built." He muttered, as he kicked the gates open. Tabitha, Josh, Cecilia and Roy stepped through them.

"Ohh, the outside world!" Tabitha exclaimed dramatically, having reverted back into her human form.

"It looks kind of different to the nature inside the wall." Josh noted.

"It looks like it always did." Cecilia smiled. "Home." She took a deep breath of freedom, and one last look back at the place she had lived for the past twelve years. She was never going back.

 **Ross and Robert Dulgatoe - Twin masters of nature**


	5. Just read this and ignore it afterward

**My update thing for some reason wasn't working properly, or I forgot to save, so there are a few mistakes in this document.**

 **When Zane tells the ninja he likes Gideon's name, that is meant to be Nya. Zane isn't even in the room.**

 **It is not meant to say 'Author Note' at the beginning of chapter two.**

 **Um, that may be all, apart from the routine spelling and grammar, but I wanted to get this out there (when I typed spelling and grammar, I spelt neither of them correctly :) Thank you, wavy red line and auto correct)**

 **Take care**


	6. Chapter 5

"Bad news, very bad news, horrifically bad news!" Jay Walker paced up and down the floor of the ninja's private rec room. He was visibly worried, and hadn't stopped pacing since he had received the phone call two minutes ago.

"Do you think he's ever going to tell us the bad news?" Kai whispered to Skylor, who gave a brief smile.

"Guys, this could be serious!" Nya said anxiously. "Jay, what's wrong?"

Jay managed to grind his pacing to a halt and dashed over to a mountain of papers they had stacked in a corner of the room. he sifted through them, muttering to himself.

"Well, he's cracked." Kai said. "I'm getting another beer."

"You'll want to stay sober." Jay said, pulling a thick dossier from the pile and throwing it down onto the coffee table. Kai, Skylor and Nya crowded in.

"DarkFlight!" Skylor exclaimed. "Jay, what's going on?"

"They were spotted." Jay threw himself onto the sofa opposite Kai. "A plane, flying above our location, that very logo on each of it's wings." He pointed to the image on top of the dossier - half of the ying, yang symbol, painted black, looking very much like a bird diving after a ball. Like a hunter, catching it's prey.

"WHAT!" Everyone except for Jay gasped. There was a great deal of noise as the three made exclamations, swore, and stated their disbelief. Jay just looked down at the floor. He scarcely believed it himself.

"We might need to move!" Kai sighed. "But where?"

"It doesn't matter." Jay said bitterly. "They found us, it took seventeen years, but they found us. And they'll find us again. We might as well give up." He put his head in his hands.

"Hey, we're ninja." Kai said sternly, reaching across and putting a hand on Jay's shoulder. "Ninja never quit. What would Lloyd do?"

"Lloyd's dead." Jay said, his voice muffled through his hands.

"We don't know that!" Nya told him. "If Harumi thought Lloyd was dead, she wouldn't be the strong ruler Ninjago has now. And I sure as hell won't give up on my friends."

"And we don't even know for sure that DarkFlight has found us." Skylor told him. "It could be anyone's plane."

"We'll have to prepare for the worst, anyway." Jay sat up, his face set. "Open up the escape tunnels, they need to be ready to use at a moment's notice." The ninja nodded, and there came a knock at the door.

"What is it?" Nya called. The door opened to reveal a guard.

"Sorry to bother you, but the Master of Earth has escaped." The guard said. The ninja gasped.

"What!" Skylor exclaimed.

"The door was unlocked from the outside." The guard told them. "The others wouldn't open it without your permission, but I can check-"

"Don't bother." Kai said. "Check the kids. I want everyone accounted for, if any are missing, come straight back and tell us, you hear?" The guard nodded and left at a run.

"Kai, what-" Kai shook his head and began to examine the DarkFlight dossier, reading again through the notes the ninja had made over the years. Barely two minutes later, the guard re-appeared. He didn't look reassured.

"Who's missing?" Nya asked, knowing the worst."

"The masters of Wind, Shadow and Form." The guard told her.

"SHIT!" Jay kicked the coffee table, jolting Kai's documents.

"We have to find them." Skylor said, a little more calmly. "Now."

...

"SHIT!" Roy cried as lights suddenly flooded the building. "We're FUCKED!" He kicked the Vengestone wall.

"Come one!" Josh cried, grabbing Tabitha, and Cecilia grabbed Roy, and they ran towards the truck. It's engine came on just as Josh threw Tabitha into the back, and leapt in himself. He reached out to take Cecilia's hand...

The truck jolted and began to move at top speed, leaving Roy and Cecilia behind. She gasped in disappointment as it sped away.

"No!" She cried. "You're right, we are fucked."

"Not quite..." Roy murmured, suddenly becoming calmer. He turned to one vehicle resting on the Vengestone wall.

A motorbike.

"No!" Cecilia gasped. "I can't ride one of those things!"

"I can drive them." Roy told her, pulling her over. "My mate back home has loads, my dad has one even. My whole village raises their kids on wheels." He climbed onto the bike and revved up the engine. Cecilia stood by the side of it, still hesitating.

"Come one, we're gonna get spotted!" Roy told her. "Are you in, or are you out?" Cecilia bit her lip and nodded.

"I'm in." She climbed onto the motorbike behind Roy, and gave a short scream as it leapt into life. The machine sped forwards down the trail, through the forest.

"Keep quiet, the engine's loud enough!" Roy snapped. Cecilia shut her mouth and clung on for dear life. The motorbike wasn't very stable and Roy wasn't the safest driver, but it was very fast, and they caught up with the truck in a short amount of time.

"Careful!" Josh gasped as the bike drew level with the truck. "You can't let the driver see you!"

"Sure, sure, shadow boy." Roy said, drawing the bike back a bit. Josh scowled.

"Don't call me that."

"You can turn into a shadow, I think you've earned yourself a permanent nickname." Josh rolled his eyes, and shuffled backwards into the truck's load.

"Just stick close." He told them.

...

The morning sun shone down on the small market town. The driver of the truck wasn't the most serious about security, so had left his vehicle unattended while he stretched his legs and bought several doughnuts. Josh uncurled himself from the back of the truck, his back aching. Tabitha was still curled up next to where he had been sleeping. He couldn't remember falling asleep, just lying in the back of the truck and watching the motorbike speed after them.

Josh gasped and slid out of the truck. He looked around wildly, but couldn't see a motorbike anywhere.

"Tabitha?" Josh called, waking the ginger haired girl. She yawned and opened her eyes.

"Josh?"

"Can you see the others, Tabby?" Josh asked, getting worried. Tabitha sat up and peered out of the truck. Josh helped her down.

"I, I don't think so." She said, clinging tight to his hand. Josh stared all around, fascinated. The market town was bustling with life, stalls filled with food, jewellery and clothing. People were calling out deals, shouting at their children to stay put and yelling insults as various cars which almost ran them over. Each colour and smell seemed to leap out all at once. The whole thing was overwhelming.

"Hey, you got any cash?" Came a voice. Josh jumped and turned to see Roy and Cecilia stood next to him, both squinting in the sun.

"There you are!" Josh gasped. "I was worried!"

"Oh, we were fine." Cecilia told him. "The motor bike broke down a mile or so down the road, so we had to walk the rest of the way. Where are we?"

"This is Ignacia village." Roy said. "Now, who has cash, I'm hungry!"

"Don't look at us!" Josh snapped. "This is our first time out here!"

"Then I guess it's down to our powers." Roy grinned. Cecilia and Josh frowned at him.

"Do we look like master criminals to you?"

"Shut up, shadow boy! OK, here's the plan..."

...

"We may have located the elemental masters at last." Agent Cooper said. He stood in front of a long table of government operatives, who had been employed to capture the elemental masters

"Where?" A female agent; Agent Morris asked, her face emotionless beneath her sunglasses.

"A discreet location, thirty miles west of Ignacia. One of our drones took some pictures of children and teens in the grounds."

"Good." Said another agent. "Our boss will be pleased."

"And there has also been an incident in Ignacia village." Agent Cooper continued. "Three teenagers and a grown man stole some food, and there is evidence elemental powers may have been involved."

"Track them down."

"Yes Sir."

The head of this small cooperation (second to the boss) stood up. "I want agents Morris, Forest and Neesam in the area immediately. Agent's Pharrell, Jacobsby and Montgomery, you are their backup. We will have the elemental masters."

The agents began to leave, but one stayed sat at the table, frowning. It seemed it was time for him to intervene at last.


	7. Chapter 6

"Cecy! Cecy, wake up!" Lauren hammered on her best friend's door. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. But the ninja called everyone to the foyer, there's going to be a meeting, we all need to be there. Cecy!" Lauren gave the door a kick. She had no idea why Cecilia was being so stubborn.

With Lauren's kick, the door fell open. She gasped, for the room was completely empty of people. "Cecy?" She called anxiously.

"Come on Lauren." Came the voice of Lauren's mother, who had appeared in the corridor behind her.

"Mum, Cecy's not here, she-"

"I know." Lauren frowned in surprise. Her mother looked tired and drained.

"Mum, what's going on? Where's Cecy?"

"I'll tell you at the meeting, now come on Lauren!"

Lauren sighed and closed Cecilia's door. Her best friend sure had some explaining to do.

...

"That. Was. Delicious!" Tabitha exclaimed happily, licking her fingers.

"Welcome to doughnuts, sister!" Roy told her. The four elemental runaways had successfully stolen the doughnuts using their powers to distract and fight. It had gone very well, and they were just finishing them as they went down the road. Cecilia chewed the last bit of her doughnut and swallowed it, smiling. She had seen thing's she'd never seen before, done things she'd never done before, in just ten hours since their escape. She had tried doughnuts before she had been captured and taken to the place she had just escaped from.

"So, what's the plan?" Josh asked, snapping Cecilia out of her thoughts.

"Erm, I don't really know." She told him. "Honestly, I didn't think we'd make it this far. I suppose I could try and find my mother again, and Roy will have a home, but I don't know about you and Tabitha."

"I hope we can stay near you." He told her. "You're a great person, Cecilia." Cecilia smiled.

"I don't know, I'm too hot-headed, I don't do any good deeds, you're a far better person than me."

"No, that's not what I meant, I-" Josh had gone bright red.

"Do I hear flirting?" Roy leaned towards the conversation, and Josh sprang away from Cecilia faster than a shadow.

"Nah, Josh and I are just friends." Cecilia told him cooly. "Right Josh?"

"Uh, yeah... right." Josh said, hurrying forwards towards Tabitha."

"What's his problem?" Cecilia muttered to herself.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Roy asked, his black hair glinting a little in the sun.

"What?" Cecilia was confused.

"Girl, he's into you!" Roy said, grinning.

"What, as in, Oh My God!" Cecilia looked at the back of Josh's head, his brown hair in need of cutting, a small, dark birthmark protruding from the collar of his polo shirt. Josh, whom she'd known since she was six, Josh, who was three years younger than she was, though age hadn't really come between anyone back at the house. Lauren was at least a year younger than Cecilia.

"Josh? No, he can't!" Cecilia shook her head.

"If you say so!" Roy laughed. His whole face was transformed when he smiled, from a hard-core, messed up kid, to a friendly boy who just wanted to be loved. Sure, Roy had some problems, but Cecilia liked the whole 'bad boy' attitude. Very much...

Roy cocked his head suddenly. "What the hell is that?" He muttered. Cecilia turned to look. Far away, upon a hill, was a black motorcycle, and sat on top of it was a singe figure, dressed in black and facing right towards them.

"What should we do?" Cecilia asked, nervous.

"I think we should run."

...

"We may have an, enemy coming." Said Lauren's father, standing on a table in front of the fifteen children, another man and another woman by his side. Lauren approached Gideon as she entered the mass of her peers. Her mother went to join the other ninja on the table. For most of the children, it was a shock to see the ninja. They usually kept to the top floor, relying on the guards to manage the elemental masters. Only Lauren, her sister and the walker siblings ever really interacted with them, and even then, it wasn't as often as she would have liked.

"What did I miss?" Lauren whispered to Gideon.

"Nothing much." He muttered back. Lauren liked Gideon, she liked him a lot. He was kind-hearted, funny and strikingly handsome. However, he seemed to regard her as nothing more than a good friend, which slightly hurt her, but she had learned to live with it.

"This enemy, seeks you guys." Lauren's father continued. "We have known about them, and made preparations should the worst come to be true."

"In a minute, we'll show you where the escape routes are." The other woman on stage took over. "Secret tunnels, which we'll use if it gets serious. But from now on, no-one is to go outside or onto their balconies. We must all stay inside, and get ready to leave at a moment's notice."

"We do also have some news regarding three of your peers." Lauren's mother began to talk. Lauren's ears perked up. She was desperate to know what had happened to Cecilia.

"Three of your fellow elemental masters, Cecilia Wood, Joshua Mortmain and Tabitha Shawl, have run away." Lauren's mother said. Lauren gasped. Cecilia, no, she wouldn't...

"We're doing everything we can to get them back, but we must be vigilant." The other woman took over. "There are bad people out there, who want to capture you and do things... well, I don't think we need to go on." Laure looked around and noticed that an expression of fear was showing on most of her peer's faces. She wasn't too scared for her own predicament, she was far too worried about Cecilia. What had she been thinking? It was definitely dangerous out there for an elemental master, and the last thing the friends had ever done was argue! What if she never saw Cecilia again?

"Hey, Lauren!" Lauren was snapped out of her thoughts by Gideon touching her on the shoulder.

"Yeah, sorry, what?" She asked.

"Speeches are over, they're taking us to see the escape routes." Gideon said, and cocked his head to one side.

"Are you alright Lauren? I know Cecilia was your best friend, I'm surprised she went without you." Lauren frowned.

"She's still my best friend. I'm sure she's fine."

...

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK, WE'RE NOT FAST ENOUGH!" Cecilia screamed. The motorcycle was roaring behind them, faster and faster. They had no idea who was on it, but knew it could only be bad.

"The kid, she shapeshifts," Roy gasped. "Can't she turn into a cheetah or something? A really big cheetah!"

"She's exhausted!" Josh gasped, who had picked up Tabitha the moment they started running, which was slowing his progress. "And she can't turn into something that doesn't exist!"

"Come here!" Roy snapped, grabbing Tabitha out of Josh's arms. The Master of Shadow gave a small protest, but couldn't ignore the fact that he could run much easier without her. The three teens went as fast as they could, but eventually, they weren't fast enough to leave the motorcycle behind.

The motorcycle slid to a halt in front of them, and a dark suited man got off.

"Hello, Miss Wood, Miss Shawl, Mr Mortmain, Mr Brookestone." He said with a playful smile. Cecilia realised this was the first time she had ever heard Roy's last name.

"How do you know who we are?" Josh asked, frowning. The man didn't reply.

"My name is Agent Cooper." He said. "And it would be within your best interests to come with me."

"I'm not so sure we want to..." Cecilia took a few steps back, Roy and Josh either side of her, nodding in agreement. They prepared to run.

"Well that's just too bad." Agent Cooper smiled, though his eyes were completely hidden behind his sunglasses. "Because my boss has been chasing you brats for the past decade, and he'd rather not have complications right now." With a lightning fast movement, Agent Cooper had produced a small, silver gun. He fired four times.

Cecilia felt something hit her neck. She stumbled backwards, trying to pull it out. But it was too late, the tranquillizer dart had done it's work. She fell to the ground.


	8. Chapter 7

She groaned and her eyes fluttered open. She tried to examine her surroundings, but it was too dark. Slowly, her body came awake, and she realised she was sat on a stiff, metal chair.

"Good morning, Miss Shawl." Tabitha gasped and swivelled her eyes in the direction of the voice. Three people were sitting behind a glass screen, she could see the outline of their sunglasses. More agents. Tabitha felt panic rising in her chest.

"Josh?" She called. "JOSH!"

"It's OK Tabby, I'm here." Tabitha turned her head to the right and saw Josh in a similar metal chair next to her. She gave a sigh of relief.

"Who are you people?" Came Cecilia's voice from Tabitha's left. Cecilia sat there, Roy to the other side of her, still unconscious.

"I believe I introduced myself earlier." Said one of the agents. "Agent Cooper. This is Agent Pharrell," He gestured to a female agent sat to the side of him, the one who had spoken earlier. "And Agent Montgomery." Agent Montgomery was sat too far back for Tabitha to see them properly, and they did not speak.

"Urgh... SHIT!" Came a low moan.

"That's Roy." Josh sighed. Roy's head snapped up and he gasped at the situation.

"No, no, NO!" He screamed, and began thrashing against the metal cuffs which bound him to the chair. Tabitha shut her eyes. This was bad, she didn't want to be here, not at all.

"Shut UP, Roy!" Cecilia yelled. Tabitha forced her eyes open again. She had to be brave.

"What is this place?" Cecilia asked calmly. She was good at that, always brave.

"This is an organisation named DarkFlight." Agent Morris spoke, her voice formal and stern. "This is where we shall learn of the elemental powers some humans possess, and use them to the advantage of Ninjago. And we have been looking for you for a long time."

"Our elemental powers?" Josh asked, sounding angry. "Our powers are magic, there's nothing else to explain. You can't just tie us to Vengestone chairs and do experiments like we're lab rats!"

"I think you'll find we can do whatever we want." Agent Cooper said smiling. "The ninja made a grave mistake when they took you from your parents, now no-one knows where you are and no-one is coming for you. You are all alone." His smile increased. Tabitha shuddered. Agent Cooper was a scary man, but the words he spoke were true. No-one would come.

"Take them." Agent Cooper said, speaking to someone behind the children. "Put them in their cells and make them wash and change. They'll be meeting the boss before the first experiment."

Tabitha felt a strong arm on her back, and screamed as she was picked up from behind. The others were being grabbed by other men and women too, and she could hear their shouts. She tried to fight, tried to change into something, but there were Vengestone cuffs around her wrists and the man holding her was too strong. Tabitha could do nothing but scream as she was carried away.

...

Cecilia sat on the edge of her new bed, hugging herself, trying not to cry. She had escaped the house, only to be thrown into a place much, much worse, for the same reason. At times like this, Cecilia wished she was normal. Only elemental masters had to deal with this shit.

Cecilia wore a white jumpsuit with pale green stripes, the name of her element and her initials on the back. She hated it, not because it wasn't her style, but because it marked her out as someone who could never be normal. Cecilia's black hair had been washed, and hung limply dow her shoulders, as she had nothing to tie it up with. Vengestone cuffs lay stiffly around her wrists, biting into her skin.

There was a sudden scrabbling at the lock, and Cecilia looked up. This didn't sound like the professional, calm personnel of DarkFlight.

The door was thrown open to reveal an agent with a blonde crewcut, looking nervous. Cecilia frowned. This was Agent Montgomery, who had been one of her escorts to her cell. He hadn't looked this... human, then.

"Sorry, but you'll have to keep quiet!" Agent Montgomery shut the door behind him, and removed his sunglasses. His eyes were the most human part of him, dark green, filled with emotion, and strangely familiar.

"I'm sorry about earlier, but I had to pretend." Agent Montgomery sighed. "Like I've been pretending for the past seventeen years." Cecilia was still shocked.

"What the hell?" She spluttered. "Are you-"

"My name is Lloyd Garmadon." Agent Montgomery said. "And I'm here to help you escape."

...

"Suited blokes on motorcycles." Nya said to her fellow ninja, biting her lip. "Spotted several miles away."

"Crap." Kai muttered. "How much time do we have?"

"An hour, maybe two."

"Double crap." He stood up. "Get the kids in gear, now!" He demanded to the guard who had brought the news. "I want this building abandoned in half an hour, you hear?"

The guard left, and the ninja began to organise. Nya and Skylor ran to the documents they had collected over the years and started shoving them into a bin liner, Kai unplugged everything and smashed the TV. Jay started emptying the mini-fridge into his pockets.

"Seriously? That's all you can think about? Food?" Kai watched Jay stuff the contents up his sleeves. "I'd expect that from Cole, never from you Jay!"

"We don't know how long we'll be in hiding for." Jay told him. "We'll need supplies."

"Come to the kitchen then." Kai said. "We'll fill some bags." He and Jay hurried out.

"I can just say, I'm glad four elemental masters are safe!" Kai told Jay.

...

"And what are the ninja like now?" Lloyd asked Cecilia, who shrugged. The agent had revealed he had once been an elemental master and had been captured by DarkFlight years ago. He had joined in hope of finding a way to protect the elemental masters. "It was the only way I could be useful to anyone." He had told her.

"I don't know, I hardly ever see them, only their kids do." Cecilia told Lloyd.

"Oh yes, Kai and Skylor's first child, what are they like?" Lloyd asked eagerly.

"Who?"

"The Master of Fire or Amber."

"Oh, Lauren." Cecilia realised. "She's my best friend, got a little sister. She's kind and funny, and..." Cecilia realised that she would never see Lauren again, and bit her lip, determined not to cry.

"She's my goddaughter." Lloyd said. Cecilia was surprised at this.

"So, you were a ninja too?" She asked.

"Yes." Lloyd replied. "The green ninja. But tell me..." He gave a sigh, a very hopeful sigh. "What do you know about Gideon?"

"What, triple G?" She asked. "Err, Gideon, Grandville Garmadon?"

"Yes!" Lloyd gasped, looking extremely hopeful indeed. "What is he like?"

"I don't know him too well," Cecilia began, but Lauren's words suddenly rang in her head.

"He's kind." She told Lloyd. "And charming, and funny. He's never rude to anyone, and always uses his powers responsibly."

Lloyd gave a happy, happy sigh. "Thank God." He sighed. "I just needed to know."

"Why, did you know his parents?" Cecilia asked. Lloyd gave a little nod, still grinning broadly.

"You could say that. I knew his mother very well. I am Gideon's father."

"Oh, wow!" Cecilia could see the resemblance now, the eyes were exactly the same, and it took a bit of imagination, but the hair was similar.

"Come on." Lloyd said, putting on his sunglasses. "I'm going to break all of you out of here."

...

Roy was kicking the wall as hard as he could, it helped him deal with anger and frustration. He didn't want this, he just wanted to be back home with his dad and his friends and his life.

"Argh, stupid, goddam world!" He cried, clutching his aching foot. He had been forced to wash, and the black dye had come out of his hair, his eyeliner had been scrubbed off, and they had taken his piercings away. Roy was in a foul mood.

Cecilia and Lloyd stood outside Roy's door in a long, whitewashed corridor.

"That's Roy alright." Cecilia sighed. Lloyd scanned his DarkFlight badge and the door popped open.

"DIE!" Roy shouted, launching himself towards Lloyd. Cecilia pulled the man back just in time.

"Roy, he's here to help us!" Roy stopped, mid-attack.

"Say what?"

"Just come ON, we need to get Josh and Tabitha!" Cecilia said, looing worriedly over each shoulder. Roy gave a shrug and shut his door. Cecilia was surprised by his appearance. His version of the DarkFlight jumpsuit didn't suit him at all, and he had ripped the sleeves off, revealing firm muscle. His hair, without the dye, with chestnut brown, and his face looked less pale, and younger, more boyish.

"Where's shadow boy and the shape shifter?" He asked. "And who the hell is he?" He gestured to Lloyd.

"I'll tell you later, we've got to rescue Josh and Tabitha, like I said." Cecilia told Roy, but there was a sudden banging sound, and they whirled round to see multiple agents pouring into their corridor. "Shit!" She gasped.

"Well, well, well, Agent Montgomery." Agent Cooper was smiling his malicious smile as he lead the mob of agents. "We thought you'd got past this phase!" Lloyd scowled.

"Clearly you didn't think very hard." He told Agent Cooper, reaching for the gun in his belt.

"There doesn't need to be a battle." Agent Cooper told him. "Just put the kids back and we can continue as normal. As if this little 'slip in judgement' never happened."

"Never." Lloyd growled, pointing the gun at the other man's chest. But there were many other agents, all pointing their guns at Lloyd. He didn't stand a chance. "There's no 'slip in judgement'. My judgement never changed, once a ninja, always a ninja. And we always stand up to evil!" He took a step back.

"Go." He told Cecilia and Roy. "Get out of here, find the ninja. This is no longer a game of hide and seek, this is war." Roy took an uneasy step back, grabbing Cecilia by the arm.

"No!" Cecilia told him. "Josh and Tabitha are still locked up!"

"They'll be fine." Lloyd told her, not taking his eyes off the other agents. "Now GO!"

"If you leave, he dies." Agent Cooper told Cecilia in a stiff voice.

"I'll die anyway." Lloyd grinned. It was a lazy, happy grin, uncaring of the situation. "They're going whether you like it or not." Roy began to pull Cecilia away, though she still didn't want to leave Josh.

"I guess it's just the green ninja verses the world." Lloyd told the agents the moment Cecilia and Roy had run away. The agents were standing, furious, but they knew that if they moved to give chase or call for backup, Lloyd would shoot them. "I was never on your side, and I never will be." He continued, cocking his head, the gun moving as he did. A fast movement from his free arm brought a knife from his sleeve. He pointed it at Agent Cooper.

"Do you remember this knife?" He smiled. "It's the very same one that I CUT your eye out with, seventeen years ago." Agent Cooper gave a furious gasp.

"You're too late, Agent Montgomery." He spat. "As you speak, our agents will be capturing the remaining elemental masters."

"No they won't." Lloyd told him. "Because the ninja are with them, and the ninja beat you!" He laughed. "Every SINGLE TIME, the ninja beat people like you. Because we never quit!"

"Agents," Agent Cooper said, his voice thick with anger.

"And it's not 'Agent Montgomery'!" Lloyd told them, his smile wide. "It's Lloyd Garmadon." He laughed. "Don't ever forget that name! Lloyd Garmadon, the green ninja!"

"Kill him." Agent Cooper said.

 **If you like the story, remember to favourite and post your review!**


	9. Chapter 8

"Lauren!" Lauren turned and saw Harvey Chandler running up to her, only his clothing visible. It didn't surprise her. Harvey had always been like this, he could come visible when he wanted to, but liked to celebrate his element to an unusual level.

"Yeah?" Lauren asked. She and Gideon were together, clutching a few possessions, preparing to enter the escape tunnels.

"It's Bobby!" Harvey exclaimed. "He's in his room, he's panicking, I can't move him! I know he trusts you, you have to help!" Lauren swore. Most of the kids had entered the tunnels, all ninja but the blue one had gone on ahead, he was waiting to seal the tunnel behind them, but had rushed off to check something. He would be back soon, an if they weren't there, he would seal up the tunnel. They would never make it.

"Please Lauren!" Harvey begged. His eyes had become suddenly visible, and they were pleading eyes. Lauren sighed, and turned to Gideon.

"Stay here. "Don't let the tunnel be sealed without us!" Gideon nodded and Lauren and Harvey ran off.

...

"There they go." Roy muttered. He and Cecilia were hidden behind a tree, watching the agents zoom past.

"You know what this means, don't you?" He asked cautiously.

"Lloyd is dead." Cecilia confirmed. She sighed.

"Come on." Roy said. "I know this place, it's only a couple of miles from my home."

Roy and Cecilia had eventually gotten out of the DarkFlight headquarters, running from the sound of gunfire and shouting. Roy had managed to get his Vengestone cuffs off, and had blasted rock after rock at the ceiling until it had fallen in with a lot of dirt, confirming that they were underground. he had made a sizable hole and Cecilia had used her wind powers to get them out of it. They had decided to hide near the hole in order to avoid capture.

"Let's go to your place then." Cecilia said. She still couldn't get over the fact that they had left Josh and Tabitha behind and that an innocent man had just died in order to help them get away. And for what? She didn't even know if her mother was even still alive!

Cecilia and Roy walked for hours in silence until twilight flooded the sky and they entered a small, mountain village.

"This is it!" Roy smiled, taking it all in. "Jamonicai village!" He grinned, though it was the sort of grin someone smiled when they were trying not to show that they were happy. Like when Josh and her had a deep conversation. She bit her lip, she was not going to cry, not in front of Roy.

Roy didn't seem to have noticed. He was dashing about the street, pointing out all the houses.

"That's the butchers, oh dad cooks bacon on the weekends for breakfast! And there, that's where Mimi lives!"

"Who's Mimi?" Cecilia asked, suddenly worried, though she had no idea why.

"My mate, the one with all the motorbikes." Roy told her. "I can't wait for you to meet my dad, he's such an awesome guy, what time is it?"

"About seven." Cecilia told him quietly.

"Yeah, get IN, he'll still be up, come on-" Roy suddenly noticed Cecilia's saddened state. "Hey, what's up?" He came over to her, his face close to her's.

"Nothing." Cecilia told him, but she felt a tear fall down her cheek.

"Hey, come here." Roy's voice was suddenly softened, and he took her hand. "What's wrong, Cess?" No one had ever called her Cess before. Cecilia found that she liked it, but didn't smile.

"You're back home, and I'm glad of that." She told Roy. "But I haven't seen my mother in twelve years, I have no idea how to track her down. Josh and Tabitha are still in DarkFlight, everyone else is about to be apprehended, I heard what they said back in DarkFlight. Lauren, Gideon, everyone will join Josh and Tabitha and we'll be the only ones left. I have no one, no home to go to!" Another tear ran down Cecilia's face, then another, then another. She was crying in front of Roy, crying in front of a boy who was her friend a boy who she...

Cecilia almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.

"Cess, I'm sorry." Roy murmured. "I should have been more sensitive. I just, I got so excited..."

"It's OK." Cecilia wiped her eyes. "I'll find my mother again, and I'm sure we'll be able to rescue Josh and the others."

"And then you can date him!" Roy grinned.

"Nah, to be honest, Josh just isn't my type." Cecilia said, hoping it was too dark for Roy to see her blush.

"What is your type?" He asked, a perfectly innocent question, but one that Cecilia didn't want to answer.

"Oh, never mind." She said. "Come on, let's get to your house." She said. Roy nodded, and led her down the street. They approached a house at the end of the street with a curved tile roof an balcony. It was small and seemed to be built into the rock of the mountainside. A bronze plaque on the side of the dark, wooden door read:

 _31_

 _Dark-Rock Cottage_

"This is it." Roy smiled. He was cute when he smiled.

"Come on." Cecilia said with a smile. "He's your father. It's your house. Just knock." Roy smiled and took a deep breath. He knocked on the door.

Roy and Cecilia waited in silence for a few moments, then the door was thrown open. Cecilia just had time to take in a figure enveloped in shadow before she was grabbed by her shirt collar and pulled inside.

...

Bobby Granthem was hugging his knees on the floor of his room, hyperventilating. Lauren and Harvey burst in, making him jump.

"Bobby, we've got to go!" Lauren told him, coming over to him. "The bad guys will be here any minute!"

"Doesn't matter!" Bobby gasped. Lauren was panicking inside herself, Bobby's telepathic powers would sometimes spiral out of control, leaving him with a fragile mental state and often prone to panic attacks and paranoia. Sometimes, he could take hours to calm down.

"Why not?" Lauren asked calmly.

"Because they'll find us!" Bobby gasped, breathing faster and faster. "They've got him, the green one, I can see it, they'll use his thoughts, track him, they'll track him, track us, we're never safe, never away, we'll never be alright, on and on forever-"

"Whoa, slow down!" Lauren said, placing her hand on his arm. "Who is this, what can you see?"

"I see them, they're nearly here, on bikes, back at their home, they have him, they can track him through him, DNA, blood..."

"Who?" Lauren demanded, very conscious of time passing. "Who can they track?"

"Gideon." Bobby gasped. "They'll track Gideon."

Before Lauren could question this further, the door was thrown open and the Master of Energy himself hurtled into the room, slamming the door behind him. He forced his back against the door, breathing hard.

"Gideon, what the-" Lauren demanded, but Bobby began to rock himself harder, whimpering.

"They're here, they're here, they're here..."

...

"Roy!" A voice exclaimed, and Roy was pulled towards the shadowy figure. Cecilia realised this must be Roy's father, though she could see little resemblance. The man's hair was the sort of black Roy's hair was when it was dyed, and he was far more broad shouldered. But Roy was holding himself tight to the man, confirming Cecilia's suspicions.

"I thought I lost you!" Roy's father gasped, gripping his son tightly, and Cecilia could see moisture forming around his closed eyes.

"OK, old-man!" Roy shrugged his father off, grinning in an embarrassed way. His father drew back, grinning a grin that was identical to his son's. Cecilia could see the resemblance now, it was all in the face. They had the same blunt jawline, and thin cheekbones. Their eyes were both pale hazel, flecked with gold. Beautiful eyes. Only Roy's father had one difference. A horrible scar ran down the left side of his face, over his left eye, which was covered by the eyepatch. It was a deep wound, and seemed like it would be a rather painful scar. Cecilia tried to avert her eyes.

"I'm sorry for dragging you in here, but you never know who might be watching." Roy's father told his son.

"That's OK dad." Roy grinned. His father nodded, and looked at Cecilia, as if he'd only just noticed that she was there.

"Who's your friend?" He asked.

"This is Cecilia Wood." Roy told his father. "She's the Master of Wind."

"How do you do, Mr Brookestone?" Cecilia asked, extending her hand. Roy's father shook it, but he was frowning curiously.

"Master of Wind..." He murmured. Their handshake ended. "Last time I checked, that trait was held by a ghost named Morro..."

"I think Morro was my father." Cecilia told the man. "My mum told me about him, long black hair, green streak..."

"Yeah, that was him." Roy's father confirmed. "You do look a bit like him actually..." He frowned, then shook his head and turned back to Roy.

"So, what happened?" He asked. "Where did you go, and why are you both dressed like convicts?"

"It's a long story." Roy said. "One that she can tell you." He gestured to Cecilia. "I'm going to clean myself up." He marched up the stairs and out of sight. His father sighed and shook his head.

"You'll have to forgive my son." He said with a smile. "He hates being normal." He gestured to a doorway. "Come to the living room, I'll make up some tea and biscuits." He turned towards the door.

"Mr Brookestone?" Cecilia asked. He turned.

"Call me Cole." He told her.

"Yeah well..." Cecilia saw the man stiffen. 'He thinks I'm going to ask about the scar!' She thought. "Erm, how old is Roy?"

Cole seemed relieved. "Seventeen." He told her. 'So I'm older.' Cecilia thought triumphantly, as she followed him through the doorway.


	10. Chapter 9

"And then we knocked on the door and arrived here." Cecilia sighed and took a biscuit. Cole sat back in his armchair, taking in everything Cecilia had just told him. It was a long story. Roy had come downstairs somewhere around the part where they had stolen the doughnuts, his hair freshly dyed, eyeliner applied and piercings back in place. he wore another leather hoodie and a dark red checked shirt with a silver skull necklace hanging in front of his chest. Cecilia was ever-conscious of her DarkFlight overalls and limp hair. She wished she had her own clothes to change into.

"Quite a little adventure you've had." Cole said, looking worriedly at his son, an expression no one had ever given Cecilia. Roy shrugged.

"We got by."

"Interesting to see what the ninja have been up to these past years..." Cole shook his head and collected himself.

"Forgive me Cecilia." He said with a smile. "You've been talking for ages, you can go upstairs and use the bathroom, and under my bed, first door on the left, there's a box of clothe that should fit."

"Thank you." Cecilia smiled and went upstairs. The shower wasn't very god quality or very warm, but it was better than the sterile, hostile environment of DarkFlight. Cecilia felt good for having used it. When she was dry, Cecilia slipped into Cole's room. It was a stereotypical adult's bedroom, dresser, plain bed, mirror. Only in this case, the bed was a single, for a single parent. Cecilia had no idea what had happened to Roy's mother, did it maybe have something to do with why his father's face was scarred, or why Roy seemed so angry all the time? Cecilia knew it wasn't her business to ask.

Cecilia pulled out the box from under the bed. It was a large and heavy box, made of wood. She pulled the lid off and gasped in delight. The whole thing was filled wit women's clothes, each item looking like it would fit her. There were dresses, jeans and skirts. Cecilia rummaged through them until she pieced together an outfit which looked like it would fit and god together. She scrambled into the clothes. They were a bit baggy on Cecilia's skinny frame, but managed to fit.

Cecilia knew she should go back downstairs and join the others, but something about this box intrigued her. She dug around a bit more and her hand touched something metallic. Curiosity got the better of Cecilia, and she drew it out.

Her mouth fell open.

The object was a necklace, the most beautiful necklace, gold, studded with diamonds and engraved with patterns. As Cecilia examined the necklace in wonder, she noticed words engraved along the front. Bringing it closer, Cecilia read:

 _My Darling Emma_

 _Happy 1st Anniversary_

 _May My Love For You Protect You Always_

Cecilia dropped the necklace quickly. An anniversary present, this was meant for Roy's mother, not for her. Yet Cecilia drew it out again, fascinated. There was something about the necklace that drew her in. Cecilia put it on the floor beside her and rooted around in the box once again. There was a small ream of photos in there, and Cecilia found herself looking at photo after photo of the people she had seen before meeting Roy - the ninja. There was Lauren's father, along with a man who bore a striking resemblance to Jemisa Walker, her father. His arm was around a woman who must be his wife, the Walker children's mother. Next to them was Cole, before he had the scar ad eyepatch. He was smiling, not his mysterious, polite smile that Cecilia had seen, but a genuine, happy smile. Next to him was what looked like a robot, and next to him...

Cecilia bit her lip. Lloyd. He was so much younger, happier, longer hair, shorter and less thin. When Cecilia had come to the part in her story where Lloyd rescued them, Cole's eye had widened, and Cecilia had dreaded reaching the part where they had ran away and left him behind. But Cole hadn't reacted. Presumably keeping his feelings to himself.

...

"They're here!" Gideon gasped, pressing his body harder against the door. "A bunch of men drew up outside in motorbikes, the ninja told me to run to the tunnel, but I couldn't leave you, and now we can't go back, they're downstairs!"

Bobby started whimpering even louder.

"We're trapped!" Harvey exclaimed, Lauren could see his shirt-sleeves shaking. She took a deep breath and her eyes narrowed.

"Maybe if we're very quiet..." Gideon suggested. He shook his head. "It's hopeless, we're going to die!"

"Pull yourselves together!" Lauren snapped. Harvey, Bobby and Gideon all jumped. Lauren whipped round to face them. "You three are a bunch of WIMPS, you hear me? It's clear you don't have a leg to stand on, so from now on, a GIRL is going to take charge!" Harvey gave a shaky nod, Bobby took a few deep breaths and Gideon swallowed hard.

"OK." He said.

"Good." Lauren didn't smile. "We can't get out through the tunnel, but we don't know if anyone's out the front. If they've all gone inside, we can slip out the balcony way, slide down the rooftops. Harvey, make your clothes disappear, you need to check." She glared straight at the Master of Light, who nodded. An outline of his face was visible under his snapback, and he was frowning determinedly. His jacket, trousers and hat faded out of sight.

Harvey gently, slowly opened the balcony door and peered out. Bobby, Lauren and Gideon held their breath. Harvey withdrew and shut the door quickly.

"No good." He sighed. "Suited guys all out there, keeping watch."

"Oh, we're doomed!" Whined Bobby, hugging himself.

"Shut up!" Lauren snapped. "We know these guys are after us, probably for our powers, so we're not going to let them near us. We are elemental MASTERS! We are part of a race, a species of POWER! We are in complete control of Fire, Energy, Mind and Light! If we can't beat a bunch of whiny old office workers, then we don't deserve to call ourselves special!"

"Well said." Gideon told her. She smiled at him.

"Come on." Lauren said. "Bobby, get up. We're getting out of here, now."

...

Cecilia re-entered the living room in which Roy and Cole were sat, talking casually. Roy seemed to have found a five-year old girl from somewhere, and she was sat on his lap, munching on a biscuit.

"Hey Cess." He said casually. "This is Charly. Say, hello, Charly."

"Hi!" The girl said brightly, and carried on eating, scattering crumbs all over her pink pyjamas. Cecilia was surprised, Roy had been going on and on about his father, but had never mentioned a sister. But Charly didn't look much like Cole or Roy, her golden hair was too neat and her face was too thin.

"Dad adopted Charly three years ago." Roy told Cecilia. "She's a real part of the family now."

"Roy's my daddy and Cole's my mummy!" Charly declared, before giggling. Cole rolled his eyes.

"I told you to stop telling her that!" He said to Roy. Roy just grinned, and gently slid Charly off his lap. He stood up.

"Well, Cess, I think we have work to do." He declared, before stuffing the rest of the biscuits in his pocket.

"We do?" Cecilia asked.

"Yeah! We've got to save shadow boy and shapeshifter girl and all your other elemental buddies." He said. Cecilia could have kicked herself for forgetting. How could she have forgotten about Josh and Tabitha?! And the DarkFlight agents were probably almost at the house where everyone else was, they had to at least warn them!

"Whoa!" Cole stood up. "I just got you back, Roy!" He said. "I can't let you go and get yourself killed!"

"Why not?" Roy demanded. "I'm seventeen, you were going out and almost getting killed at my age, when you were a ninja!"

Cole winced. His hand instinctively travelled to his scar. "Roy." He faced his son. "I thought DarkFlight had taken you. I thought you were dead. They're ruthless. They have killed the green ninja and they will kill again."

"I don't care." Roy said. "I've discovered that some things are worth fighting for." He turned and walked out the door. Cecilia gave a sigh.

"Thank you for having me and... giving me the clothes." She told Cole. "I'll repay you someday-"

"No." Cole told her. "Thank you. Roy has never been a noble person, I've tried for seventeen years to change that, and you've known him for two days an achieved it." He smiled. "Despite your father, you are a great person, Cecilia Wood."

Cecilia nodded and turned to follow Roy.

...

Josh had tried picking the lock. He had tried punching the wall. He had tried screaming until he made himself hoarse. He had tried tearing at the Vengestone cuffs around his wrist. Nothing had worked. He sat on his bed, considering kicking the wall. Just like Roy. Josh didn't want to even think about the Master of Earth. he had heard shouting from outside his door, the boy and girl have escaped. Roy was evidently the boy and Josh couldn't see him taking Tabitha with him, so that meant Cecilia had gone without him, just like she had planned. Josh gave an aggravated sigh. Who was he kidding? Cecilia would never go for a loser like himself.

Josh got up from his bed and went over to the door. If it wasn't for his FREAKING cuffs, he would have slipped through a shadow vortex and away. He would rescue Tabitha. Unlike some people, Josh would never leave his friends.

The Master of Shadow stared at his cuffs in despair. Vengestone. A large amount stopped elemental powers being used near it, a small amount touching your skin stopped elemental powers being used at all. His cuffs encircled his wrists with just a millimetre of space between skin and metal. He was stuck.

Or was he?

Josh frowned as an idea came into his head. He had never tried using his power very much before, and wasn't entirely sure what he was capable of. But if this was going to work, he would need to time it exactly right, and not hold back.

Josh took a deep breath. He began shaking his wrists, trying to use his powers, knowing when the moment hit, he had to be ready. And there it was, he felt the lightness of a shadow slip over him, as the cuffs were a hair-width away from his skin, but it was far enough. Quickly, Josh's body turned into a shadow. The cuffs fell through him and onto the floor. Josh darted away, his human form coming back almost as quickly as it had left. He let out a sigh of relief and examined his cuff-free wrists. He grinned.

He was free.


	11. Chapter 10

Cole laid his sleeping adoptive daughter into her bed and kissed her forehead gently. Charly (Charlotte, as she had been called) had lost her parents as a baby, and Cole had taken pleasure in raising her. Charly was sucking her thumb and her hair spread over the pillow. Cole smiled down at her for a moment. "I'm sorry Charly." He sighed. "I'll see you again, I hope." He flicked the switch off and ran to the phone downstairs. Cole didn't want to do this, in fact, he felt sick at the idea. But he had to, the children needed him, Roy needed him.

Cole made a quick call to the lady across the street, who agreed to watch Charly. He then picked up the records book and flicked to one of the earliest pages. Hands shaking, he made the call.

"Hello?" Came the rough voice, one that had changed over the years, but was still recognisable.

"Shade?"

"Uh-hu. Who is this?"

"Cole, Cole Brookestone."

"Oh, yeah, the black ninja. What do you want and how did you get this number?"

"Skylor nicked it from your mobile, gave it to Kai, who sold it to Lloyd, who got hideously drunk and carved it into the wall of the monastery." Cole smiled at the memory, then shuddered at the thought of the last time he had fought with the ninja.

"Whatever Brookestone, what do you want?"

"It involves your son." Cole told him. The other end of the line was silent for a moment, then-

"I don't have a son." Shade sounded confused.

"Well then, the new Master of Shadow, Josh Mortmain." Shade gave a small gasp.

"Josh is... my nephew. My sister, Irene's son."

"I thought you had to be a parent to pass on the power." Cole was genuinely curious now. Shade sighed.

"The ninja contacted me seventeen years ago, telling me that a new Master of Shadow should be born in order to protect the element." Shade told Cole. "But I'm an asexual, and don't want kids. So when my sister got pregnant some years later, I managed to transfer my power to her son. She called a month later, telling me that her son had been given to the ninja by her asshole husband and she wanted me to... to protect him. I said I would find him and take good care of him. She hung up. Twelve hours later, I got a call from her husband. She had called me from in front of a noose."

"Oh My God!" Cole gasped. "That's horrible."

"I will protect Josh, I will be the family he doesn't have." Shade said in a set voice. "Now, what is it?"

"I know where Josh is, and I need your help to get him out."

"Done." Shade's voice became a tone lighter, if that was even possible for the ex-master of shadow.

"Good, can you contact Chamille? We're going to need her as well..."

...

"Tabitha!" The young girl gave a gasp of surprise as Josh slipped right through her locked door in shadow form.

"How did you-"

"Never mind, I'll help you get your cuffs off." Josh managed to pry Tabitha's cuffs open with a screwdriver he had picked up. "Come on, we're getting out."

"I can't turn into a shadow, Josh." Tabitha told him.

"No, but what you can do is turn into something small enough for me to turn into a shadow, then we can escape together. I'm not leaving you behind Tabby, not with everything we've been through." Tabitha smiled, and moments later, had shrunk to a fly.

"That's good!" Josh exclaimed. There was excitement in his voice, he wanted to get away fast as possible. Tabitha came and landed on his shoulder and Josh took them out into the corridor.

"That was horrible!" Tabitha exclaimed, staggering. "How do you do that?"

"It's easier to me." Josh said. "It's in my blood." He briefly wondered which of his parents he had inherited his element from. He shrugged. It wasn't important.

"How are we going to get Roy and Cecilia?" Tabitha asked. "They can't turn into bugs!"

"They, they're gone." Josh bit his lip.

"Gone, what do you mean-"

"They left without us, OK, just... don't." He grabbed Tabitha's arm and started to run.

"OW, slow down! You're hurting, Josh!" Josh looked down at the small girl whom he had protected all the way here, since she had first shown up as a baby. She looked up at him with wide, tearful eyes.

Josh sighed and stopped. He knelt down in front of Tabitha.

"I'm sorry Tabby." He sighed. "I'm just... just a bit upset, that's all."

"About Cecilia?"

"No... well, maybe." Josh knew it was strange, confessing to a six year old when they aught to be escaping. "Truth is, I thought Cecilia and I were friends. Good friends. And she left without us, and took 'Roy'."

"You don't like Roy, do you?"

"Not really, no." Tabitha considered for a moment, then pulled on Josh's arm.

"Come ON Josh!" She said earnestly. "We're meant to be escaping!" Josh laughed and let the little girl pull him along.

...

Shade crouched low in the bushes watching the metallic gate and the suited guards around it. It seemed odd and out of place; definitely the entrance to a secret government bunker. DarkFlight. Josh.

Shade swept his long, black hair out of his eyes. He had always taken after his father, from the pale, ghostly skin right down to the elemental power of shadow. He had never seen his nephew, but knew he had to save Josh. He was all the family the boy had left.

"You've changed!" Shade had been so intent on watching the gate, he hadn't noticed a familiar figure creeping up behind him. he smiled, a rare sight.

"Chamille." Shade sighed, as the past elemental master of form joined him in the bush. It was true, Shade had changed since their last meeting. His hair had grown longer and he had become more muscular. Chamille was slightly taller. All the pair of them had to show for over seventeen years.

"I got your message." Chamille said. "Is it true? Is there a chance for me to see my daughter?"

"I believe so." Shade told her. "We're going to save our children."

...

"Oh for FUCK'S SAKE!" Josh and Tabitha jumped and saw a suited man at the other end of the corridor, looking as shocked as Josh felt. "What is WRONG with the GODDAMN security in this building!" He cried. "Then he snatched a radio from his belt.

"RUN!" Josh cried, grabbing Tabitha and thundering off down the corridor. The man in the suit gave chase immediately, shouting into his radio for backup.

"Shit!" Tabitha exclaimed, and Josh couldn't help but laugh. They grew up fast alright.

"In here!" He cried, pulling Tabitha through a door, and slamming it behind them. A few hands hammered on the door, but it eventually fell silent as footsteps hurried away. Josh let out a sigh of relief.

"What is this place?" Tabitha wondered. Josh raised his head and looked around. They appeared to be in a storeroom of sorts, a long room, filled with wooden shelves, another doorway at the far end. Josh groaned, because there was no door to fill it in. The agents would find them in no time.

"Tea!" Tabitha exclaimed, pointing. Josh raised his weary head, and gave a small laugh. The shelves were covered in jars and jars of tea.

"Who could drink that much tea!" Josh exclaimed. He felt like laughing, crying, hugging his knees, or maybe all three. He could hear shouts in the distance, they were trapped. Trapped like rats. Lab rats. Lab rats which Cecilia had abandoned.

"Josh?" Tabitha came over to him, towering over him. Josh realised that he had slid down the wall and was hugging his knees.

"Yeah?" He sighed.

"Why are you down there? Why aren't we running?"

"What's the point?" Josh sighed. "They'll find us, they'll always find us, we're stuck. Why isn't life FAIR?" He put his head in his hands.

"No!" Tabitha snapped. Josh lifted his head. "We are elemental masters, things may look bleak, but we never give up! Life is never fair, but we keep fighting!" The sight of a six year old preaching morals to a teenage boy was so bizarre that Josh had to laugh. Then he realised she was right, sighed and got to his feet.

"Come on Tabby!" He grinned. "Let's show these suited bastards what we've got!"

Agents dashed into the room through the spare doorway. They raised silver guns.

"Come quietly, or you get tranquilised." Said the one in front. Josh shook his head.

"Option C!" He shouted, and made a grab for a jar of tea. He hurled it, and it hit one of the agents in the head. She stumbled, but didn't fall.

"Come on Tabby!" He yelled. "Give it to them!"

 **...Eight Minutes Later...**

Sweat beaded on Josh's forehead, but he wasn't even close to giving up. The battle had been a few darts fired and some jars of tea thrown, hardly anything, but to the teenage elemental master, he was fighting for his life.

"Some of the tea has strange effects." Tabitha said, watching the jar she had just thrown as it his an agent in the face. He began to grow tentacles.

"It must be magic!" Josh exclaimed. "Which means, they're not just stockpiling us elemental masters." His eyes widened in realisation. "They're taking all the magic!"

"Well done cretin!" Laughed the agent in front. "We will find out what makes people like you tick, and-"

"Shut UP, IDIOT!" Another agent slapped the back of his head. "Don't give away our secrets!"

"We need to take them all out!" Josh told Tabitha. "Got any ideas?"

"Tea." Tabitha picked up a jar and showed it to him. The label read: _Tomorrow's Tea_.

"What does this do?" Josh asked, taking the jar from her and examining it.

"Ages." Tabitha told him, ducking some tranquiliser darts heading their way. Josh raised the jar to throw.

"Wait!" Tabitha gasped. "When it's out, it effects everyone in a ten meter vicinity!"

"Bigger than this room." Josh sighed. "One of us'll have to stay behind and throw it. I'll-"

"No." Tabitha took the jar from him and stared him down with her pale blue eyes. "I'm the youngest, I should do it."

"But Tabby, that'll take the rest of your childhood away from you, it's not fair!"

"Life is never fair." Tabitha told him, frowning. "But we never give up." She threw open the door and, before he could protest, shoved him out, slamming and locking it behind him.

"Tabby!" Josh screamed, hammering on the door. He heard the sound of a jar smashing. He took a few steps back. "Tabby!" He cried, and rushed at the door, smashing it open and badly bruising his elbow.

The room was a mess. Agents lay at the far end, significantly aged. They were very old now, wrinkled and unmoving. Josh frantically scanned the dusty room, and saw her.

"Tabby?" Josh whispered, unsure. The figure on the floor lay face down in the ugly DarkFlight overalls. They had long, wavy ginger hair. Slowly, they sat up, saw Josh, and stood up.

Josh's mouth fell open.

Thirty seconds ago, Tabitha had been a little girl, short, scraggly, thin hair, skinny frame, her DarkFlight overalls hanging off her, far too big. This Tabitha seemed to have just aged ten years. She was a head taller than Josh, still slim, but not in a youthful way. Her body was shown by the sudden tightness of the overalls. Her hair was long, thick and wavy. She was shockingly beautiful.

"Josh?" Groaned Tabitha. "What happened, did it work?" She turned to the DarkFlight agents, lying still on the floor. She grinned and turned back to Josh. "It worked, they-" Her face fell as she caught sight of her hands. "Oh My God, what..." She examined her now, much bigger body. She pressed her hands to her chest. "Holy crap, when did-" Her hands moved to her mouth as she noticed her voice had changed. "When did..." She looked at Josh, who was still standing, shocked. "Say something, Josh!"

"Holy shit!" Josh exclaimed. She frowned.

"Josh! Not helping!"

The pair were suddenly stopped as the roof started to shake. Josh grabbed Tabitha and pulled her back, just as the ceiling caved in and two figures dropped onto the floor. They straightened up and caught sight of the teens. The four people stared at each other for a long time. Then the man was the first to react.

"Josh!" Gasped Shade.


	12. Chapter 11

Lauren opened the door, just a crack, and peered out. The corridor was empty. Silently, she beckoned the others and, together, they crept into the corridor. Lauren went first, Harvey and Bobby in the middle, and Gideon covering their back. It was the perfect formation, Lauren and Gideon could physically throw dangerous things at enemies, and Harvey could protect Bobby if he freaked out again, though he had promised to do his best not to.

The four teenagers crept out of the door and down the corridor. Their plan was to find the escape tunnel, unseal it and use to get out. If not, run for the hills.

Lauren approached the staircase and shrank back, as she spotted shadows moving below. She motioned to the others to stay put, and they leaned forward to listen.

"They got out through that passage, didn't they? The one that got sealed up?"

"Yeah."

"Bollocks!" There was the sound of someone kicking the wall. "They'll be too far away to track!"

"They're a bunch of kids! They won't have gone that far on foot. The others are circling the nearby woods, looking for a reserve safehouse." Then there was a sudden beeping sound, making Lauren jump. "Speak of the devil!" The agent said, and presumably picked up his radio. "Yeah, Agent Forest here sir. You found it! Good, I've got Agent Jacobsby here with me, some others are downstairs, taking care of something, and Agent Cooper's on his way here from headquarters, he had to pick up something and sort out a situation there. We'll be right there sir!" The shadow of the agent put the radio back into his belt.

"So, I'm guessing they've found the kids?" The other agent asked.

"Sure have! Let's get over there!" The two shadows turned.

"Oh no!" Bobby gasped, leaning over Lauren's shoulder. "They found the others, they-"

"Bobby, no, watch out-" But the Master of Mind's weight had leaned on the imbalanced Lauren, tipping her over the edge and sending both of them tumbling down the stairs.

"What was that?" Agent Forest exclaimed, turning. He saw Bobby and Lauren at once. "Ah-HA! We've got you now!" He made to move towards them.

"Lauren!" Came a cry, and a bolt of green energy hurtled towards Agent Forest, who ducked.

"What the hell-" He cried, and gasped in pain and doubled over, as an invisible force kicked him where the sun doesn't shine. Gideon leapt down the stairs and landed perfectly in front of Lauren.

"Surprise!" He shouted, and threw another green ball of energy at the remaining agent. He fell to the ground. Agent Forest carried on crying out in pain as Harvey beat him repeatedly, and fell onto his face. he didn't get up.

"Nicely done!" Lauren said with a smile, helping Bobby to his feet. "But there's others downstairs, we can't escape that way."

"Which way then, leader?" Asked Bobby. Lauren was surprised, but the three boys were looking at her with an expression of trust and hopefulness. She couldn't let them down.

"Up." She said, turning around. "Come on, run!" The four elemental masters turned, as they heard the feet of many agents coming up the stairs towards them.

...

"Is everyone here?" Skylor asked, as she placed the lid of the trapdoor over the hole in the floor.

"Head count." Nya called, and the crowd of teens fell silent. She quietly counted the crammed in mass, and gasped. "Not counting Josh, Cecilia and Tabitha, we're missing FOUR!"

"And dad isn't here!" Called Nya's nine year old daughter, Jemisa. Nya took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"Jay will be fine." She told Kai and Skylor. "But the others, why didn't they get in?"

"Who is it?" Kai asked, scanning the crowd. "Delia, come here, Lauren-" He gasped. "Lauren! She's not here." His eyes were filled with a sudden fear for his daughter.

"Neither is Lloyd's son!" Skylor groaned.

"I'm going back for them." Kai said, approaching the barred up door to the cabin the ninja had built as a safehouse. Skylor grabbed his arm.

"It's too dangerous!" She exclaimed. "DarkFlight will have taken over the building, and-"

"That's exactly why I've got to go!" Kai cried. "I didn't get beat up in a hospital seventeen years ago just so those government BASTARDS could take my daughter nearly two decades later! And Gideon's my godson, I have to look after him!"

"Getting yourself into more trouble won't help them!" Nya turned Kai around so he had to look at her. "Kai, we have to protect the ones we have here. We'll fine Lauren and the others when they're safe!" Kai seemed to deflate a little and leant against the wall.

"I'm sick of being a ninja." He groaned.

"If we take down DarkFlight, you won't have to be." Skylor put a comforting hand around her boyfriend's shoulder. "Just a few more days."

"Excuse me." The ninja looked at an adolescent who had come up to them.

"Yeah?" Nya asked.

"I don't want to alarm anyone, but Travis is pretty sure he heard a car draw up outside."

...

Lauren's heart was pounding from exhaustion and fear. She knew they were being chased by the agents, and also knew they couldn't keep it up for long. They had reached the top floor already, which, like all the others, was just a long corridor with rooms. Unless there was an emergency route down, they were screwed.

"Look!" Harvey cried, pointing upwards. "A trap door!" Lauren looked up and, indeed, there was a trap door, built into the ceiling.

"Can we open it?" She asked. It was far above their heads, if only Cecy was here, she would just float up and open it. But Lauren couldn't fly, neither could Gideon, Harvey or Bobby. They were just as stuck. She gripped her hair with his hands. Why was this HAPPENING!

"Come here Bobby." Gideon seemed to have noticed Lauren's distress and taken the heat of leading for a while. Lauren was grateful, she just wanted this all to be over. Gideon heaved Bobby into the air, and the Master of Mind groped around a bit until he seized the handle and pulled. A ladder unfolded. Lauren gave a big sigh of relief, but it wasn't over yet.

"Come on!" Gideon cried, and they scrambled up the ladder, just as the agents appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Get back!" Lauren cried, and hurled bolts of fire at them, and set fire to the ladder.

"You do realise you just set fire to the whole building?" Harvey asked.

"That was the desired effect." Lauren told him.

"Which we are ON TOP OF!" Lauren looked up and saw they were on the sloping, tiled roof, under a sky filled with stars. Night had somehow fallen. She swore.

"We need to find a way down!" She called, and peered over the edge.

"Be careful!" Gideon cried. He sounded genuinely worried. Lauren allowed herself a small smile. She tried to get a closer look, but of course fate wasn't on her side.

Lauren slipped and fell.

"LAUREN!" Gideon screamed as he watched the Master of Fire slip over the edge. Lauren fell, though to her, it didn't really seem that she was falling. Just slipping away. She sent a silent apology to Cecy. Now she understood. Lauren wished she hadn't been such a bad friend.

Gideon frowned as Lauren seemed to glow an orange or red light. It grew and grew until...

"Oh My God, that is FRECKING COOL!" Bobby exclaimed as Lauren soared up to them, riding a bright, scarlet dragon. She looked astounded.

"Where did that come from?" Harvey asked gleefully. Lauren shrugged.

"I don't know, it was just... suddenly there." She said. "But whatever it is, it's our ticket out of here. Come on!" She extended her hand and flew closer to the building. Harvey was the first to jump on, then Bobby. Lauren extended her arm to the stupefied Gideon.

"Come on, what are you waiting for? A red carpet?" Gideon smiled and jumped onto the dragon.

"I'm so glad you're alive!" He exclaimed. Lauren grinned as the dragon flew away.

...

Cole drew up to the house on a black motorcycle. He knew it was the same thing as DarkFlight would ride, but he couldn't care less. Shade and Chamille would save Josh and Tabitha, Roy and Cecilia would join up with the others, he had to save anyone who was still in the building.

Cole zoomed through the open gate and jumped off the machine. It looked like a small fire had started upstairs, nothing to worry about. Yet.

He ran inside.

The lower floor of the place was a mess, rubble and cracked beams. There were a few splashes of what seemed like blood on the walls. Cole gritted his teeth, he didn't want to see this.

 _Your blood will be spilled, black ninja, so much blood_

Cole shook his head and carried on the search. The floor seemed to be deserted. "Hello?" He called. "Anyone here?"

There came a small stirring from Cole's left. Cole whipped round and saw a figure lying crumpled on the ground. He gasped. "JAY!"

Cole ran to the fallen ninja and turned him over, frantically. Jay's eyes opened a crack, and Cole sighed in relief. He wasn't dead.

"Cole?" Murmured the blue ninja. "Poetic, the gods send me the face of my once best friend to welcome me into the afterlife..." His eyes wandered.

"You're not going to die Jay." Cole told him. "Not on my watch. It's really me, Cole. I'm here."

Jay gave a happy smile. "Cole! I thought you left, after we... you never abandoned us. We abandoned you. I'm so sorry Cole."

"Jay..." Cole shook, a tear coming out of his good eye, his scar covering the one that would never work again. "It wasn't your fault. It was never your fault. I'm sorry I blamed you, you had no choice."

"It was you or Ninjago." Jay sighed, his eyes scarcely open. "I should have chosen you." His hand reached up and he gently touched Cole's scar. Cole shuddered.

"Come on Jay." He said. "I'll help you stand, we need to get out of here..."

"No!" Jay gripped his arm. "I'm dying Cole."

"No, you-"

"Yes." Jay guided Cole's hand downwards, to his lower chest. Cole felt warm, wet blood. He looked down and saw a dark scarlet patch spreading over Jay's chest. How had he not noticed it before?!

"Jay, no!" Cole gasped, more tears falling from his eye. "You can't die!"

"I'll have to." Jay sighed. He dropped Cole's hand. "There's a bullet in me, I can feel it. They put it there, they..."

"DarkFlight." Jay gave a feeble nod. Cole bit his lip.

"I wish I could have been a better father." Jay sighed, his eyes trailing away from Cole's face. "Wish I could have... been there for my kids."

"You were." Cole said gently, laying Jay's head into a comfortably spot as he held his friend in his arms. "You were a great father. You always tucked them into bed after reading them a story. Threw great birthday parties. Kissed them when they cried. Looked after them when they were hurting." All the things Cole had tried to do for Roy. All the things Jay had never done for his children.

"I don't think I did." Jay whispered.

"You meant to." Cole told him. "And that's what matters."

Jay gave Cole one last smile as the light slipped out of his eyes and he died.

 **You may need tissues for that last bit, I cried as I wrote it.**


	13. Chapter 12

"Do you really think going back to the house is the best idea?" Roy panted as he and Cecilia ran on through the trees.

"Of course." Cecilia gasped. "It'll be impossible to rescue Josh and Tabitha from DarkFlight with just the two of us. We need to help the others back at the house first, then we can all take down DarkFlight together."

"Whatever you say Cess." Roy told her, and they stopped their running for a moment to catch their breath.

"You don't get a lot of exercise, do you?" Cecilia asked, observing Roy.

"No."

"Neither do I." She grinned and Roy grinned back. He wiped sweat from his forehead in a sexy way.

"Come on." He said. "We've got to... get there before DarkFlight do, haven't we?"

"That ship's probably sailed long ago." Cecilia pushed herself off the tree, and immediately flopped back against it again, still breathing heavily. "The best we can do is show up and assist."

"Whatever." Roy muttered, regaining his breath, but pretending to pant so Cecilia could rest a bit longer. The two leant against their trees in peace for a while, before...

WHOOSH!

"What the fuck was that?" Roy cried, looking up. "Holy crap Cess." Cecilia looked up also. Already zooming past them was a bright, scarlet dragon, flying high above the trees.

"A dragon!" Cecilia gasped. "I didn't think you could get them in this realm!"

"That's an elemental dragon!" Roy told her. "Created by the energy of an elemental master, we can all do it, only I'm not very good at it."

"And it's red, so that means..." Cecilia's eyes widened. "Lauren!" She turned to follow the dragon. "Come on!" She told Roy. "She'll lead us to the elemental masters!"

...

Rubbing away the dirt that covered the small peephole in the door, Nya put her eye to it to look out.

"Who is it?" Kai and Skylor crowded round anxiously. "Is it DarkFlight?"

"I'm not sure." Nya frowned as she looked out. "It's a guy on a motorbike, a bit like the DarkFlight ones, but, I don't know, smaller maybe?"

"Let me look!" Kai elbowed his sister aside and peered though himself. "A dude's getting off, he's dressed in black, but not a suit. Probably is DarkFlight." He scrabbled angrily at the doorknob.

"No Kai!" Nya pushed her brother away to look through again. He's carrying something, and coming towards us..." She gasped and grabbed the door knob. "It's Cole!"

"What, really?" Kai and Skylor battled for the peephole. They could see his face, see the scar. It was Cole.

"Wait Nya, it could be a trap." Skylor said. "You haven't seen Cole in, what, eighteen years? He could work for DarkFlight for all we know!"

"No, I trust Cole." Nya opened the door and went a little way outside. Kai motioned to the elemental masters to stay back, then he and Skylor stuck their heads out themselves.

"Cole?" Nya called. Cole didn't look at her, he was looking at the ground. He came closer and Nya realised what he was carrying was a person. A very familiar person...

"Jay?" Nya gasped, taking a few steps away from the door. "Cole, what happened?" Cole said nothing as he reached the steps of the cabin and laid Jay down in front of his wife.

"I'm sorry." He said in an emotionless voice. "I couldn't leave him, I had to bring him where he could be loved."

"Wait, what are you..." Nya knelt down beside Jay. "Jay. Jay?" She shook his shoulder gently. He was cold.

"I'm sorry Nya." Cole muttered. Nya's hands began to shake as the truth hit her.

"No..." She murmured. "No, no, not Jay, not..." Tears slid down her face as she hugged her husband to her chest, hoping that his eyes would open again, that he would smile and say that it was all one big prank...

"Oh. My. God." Kai saw his fallen comrade and his mouth slid open, his eyes wide. He fell to his knees and, still shell-shocked, placed an arm round his sister's shoulder as she sobbed, holding Jay's body in her arms.

"Mum, what's going on?" A small girl squeezed past the ninja. She had Jay's auburn hair. Her mouth dropped open like her uncle's had done. "Daddy?" She was too old to be referring to her father as 'daddy'.

"Sis?" A boy, a bit taller than the girl with the same auburn hair, came round and saw the same thing as his sister had done. "Dad? No, not dad, not..." He covered his face with his hands.

Cole didn't want to examine the damage he had caused any further. Jay was dead. His family were with him, Cole had done his part. He was no longer a ninja. He turned to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Cole sighed as the confident voice of Skylor Chen hit his ears.

"Away. There's nothing here for me."

"Away! You used to be a ninja, you used to fight for what's right and never give up! Your team needs you and you're just going to walk away from all that?"

"What else can I do?"

"You can fight!" Skylor snapped. "You can be the man you once were, instead of half the man you could have been!"

Cole shook his head. "I can't fight beside these people. I quit for a reason Skylor."

"Which shouldn't matter!" Skylor approached him. "You quit because of a stupid SCAR!"

"It's not ordinary scar." Cole looked at the ground, trying to forget and failing The left side of his face seared with pain. "Please Skylor, just shut up."

"No!" The red-headed woman grabbed Cole by the arm and pointed back at the cabin. Nya had stood up, Kai was holding Jay, and the children were wiping their eyes.

"Look at them." Skylor said. "They have just lost someone who they cared about very deeply. A husband. A father. A friend. Yet they're on their feet, ready to fight. Why? Because they're brave, they want to stand up to evil and they are resilient. They won't stop fighting because of the wounds, however serious."

"You don't even know how I got this scar, do you?" Cole asked, a muscle in his face twitching.

"I know that you should put it aside. For them. For Jay. He would have fought." Cole scowled.

"You make a good argument, Skylor." She grinned at him.

"I had a crazy evil cultist for a father, of course I do."

...

The little jeep raced over the bumpy terrain, definitely over the speed limit. And Shade was an awful driver. Josh sat on the backseat next to Tabitha, both of them still a little shell-shocked. Josh had been amazed to discover that this amazing warrior man was his uncle, and slightly saddened to hear what had happened to his real parents. Shade had promised to look after him, though Josh knew both of them felt awkward around the other. Tabitha and her mother were easier, still having the mind of a six-year old, Tabitha had welcomed her mother with ease. Josh wished it were only that easy for him.

"I can see smoke." Tabitha's mother leaned forwards, examining the horizon.

"That's a big fire." Muttered Shade. "Either a forest fire, or-"

"It's the house." Josh said at once. "The house is on fire." All four swore simultaneously, and gave small grins.

"There won't be anyone still there." Shade said, slowing the car and almost crashing it into a tree. "Crap!" Josh was glad he was wearing a seatbelt. He turned round. "Did the ninja ever mention a safehouse, a second hiding place?"

"We never even met the ninja." Josh told him.

"Double crap!" Shade turned around again and carefully backed out onto the road. "We'll just have to-" He jerked the jeep forwards violently as a dozen black motorbikes sped past them. "Watch it assholes!" He yelled out the window.

"Wait, those guys..." Tabitha watched them speed on.

"DarkFlight!" Josh exclaimed. "They'll know where the others are for sure!"

"Good one kids." Tabitha's mother told them. "Put the pedal to the metal Shade, follow those agents!"


	14. Chapter 13

Lauren and the dragon sailed through the air with ease, the teenagers atop of it grinning in the delight of flying. They had spotted a single DarkFlight car heading down the road, and were following from the air, hoping it would lead them to the ninja and other children.

"I can see a little cabin!" Harvey exclaimed, pointing. The others peered down, though not far enough to fall off the dragon.

"The car's heading straight for it." Gideon confirmed. "Bobby, are they in there?" The Master of the Mind closed his eyes and concentrated. Harvey held onto his shoulders so he wouldn't fall.

"Yes." Bobby confirmed after a moment or so. "But it's weird, everyone's very sad or confused. Something's happened."

"Well, we best get down there, before the car does." Gideon said. "Straight on Lauren!"

"I can't land there, the car's too close, it'll spot us." Lauren told him. "But there's a gap in the trees over there, not too far. We'll land there and hide in the trees."

"Good plan." Gideon told her.

"Hang on everyone!" Lauren guided the dragon into a dive and landed smoothly in the clearing. The teenagers slid off it's back and onto the bumpy ground. The dragon disappeared, and they were sad to see it go.

"I'll make another." Lauren told them. "In fact, if I can do it, I bet you guys can as well!"

"Maybe, we'll try later." Harvey told her. "When everyone's safe."

The four teenagers crept through the trees to watch as the car pulled up in front of the cabin.

...

"There's a car." Kai told the others. Skylor groaned.

"Do I even need to ask?"

"Nope, we all know who it is. Our very good friend, Agent Cooper." He beckoned Nya, who patted her son on the shoulder and came over. Cole had joined the ninja, standing silently, not speaking. Jay's body had been put down the trapdoor. No one wanted to look at it and besides, it would soon start to smell.

"Shall we go out?" Kai asked.

"Are you mad?"

"Look, the guy's a smart bastard, he knows we're here. Can't hold him off forever."

"Kai's right." Said Cole joining the other adults. "There's no point hiding, he's probably here to talk, and we don't want him coming any closer than he has to." The ninja looked curiously at Cole, he had been here for ten or so minutes, like a dark, silent presence. No one had spoken to him, no one was quite sure what to say.

"Alright." Skylor said. "Open the door."

...

"The dragon's gone." Roy sighed. "What now?"

"Well, look." Cecilia pointed.

"Where?"

"THERE, you idiot! Lauren and the others." Roy followed Cecilia's hand and saw, at the other side of the clearing they stood at, the cabin towards the back, a girl around his own age, with long brown hair, accompanied by three boys, one of which seemed to be camouflaged, another bearing a striking resemblance to Agent Montgomery.

"That her?" He asked.

"Yeah, Lauren. Master of Fire. My best friend."

"I thought Josh was your bestie." Cecilia rolled her eyes.

"Before we escaped, me and Josh didn't talk that much, not like real friends. Not like..." 'Not like a guy who would have a crush on me.' Cecilia thought.

"Look, a car!" Roy gasped, pulling Cecilia back into the shadow of the trees. "Bet it's DarkFlight."

"No shit." Cecilia muttered. "Keep quiet, we have to watch."

...

The four remaining ninja exited the cabin, shutting the door. Agent Cooper exited his car, leaving the door open. Someone else was in there, just a dark shadow.

"Agent Cooper!" Kai called. "We meet again."

"Yeah, I believe last time, Kai kicked your ass because you tried to steal our daughter!" Skylor snapped.

"The offer still stands." Agent Cooper gave a dry smile. "I know you have the rest of the elemental masters in there, and I'm here to take them back." His eyes narrowed. "Whether you like it or not."

"Get lost!" Cole spat. "You're not getting your hands on our kids!"

"Well look who came crawling back to the team!" Agent Cooper exclaimed. "Been, what, eighteen years? I'm surprised they let your back, aren't the ninja supposed to be loyal?"

"Shut up!" Nya snapped. "Cole is our friend, state your business and piss off!"

"Of course." Agent Cooper reached into the car, dragging out the other person by the scruff of their neck. They were dressed in a torn suit, and their limbs were limp, yet they were obviously conscious. A black hood covered their head. Agent Cooper placed them roughly on the ground in front of him, on their knees, and brought out a gun.

"Give me the elemental masters or I put a bullet through the green ninja's head!" He cried triumphantly.


	15. Chapter 14

"Who's that?" Cecilia whispered to Roy, as they couldn't hear what the others were saying.

"I don't know, but whoever they are, they're in trouble." Roy leaned a bit closer to the action. "Be quiet, maybe we can hear what they're saying."

"The green ninja is dead!" The black haired woman called to Agent Cooper. "You killed him seventeen years ago!"

"No I didn't, but I will!" Agent Cooper snapped. "I'm beyond reasoning, we WILL have the elemental masters." He grabbed hold of the man's hood and pulled. Lloyd's head appeared.

"Oh My God!" Cecilia gasped, and a sudden idea occurred to her. She saw Lauren and the others watching...

"Stay here!" She whispered to Roy.

"No, wait, what are you-" Cecilia used her power to blow herself upwards into the trees. Roy rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable!" He sighed.

...

"The green ninja is dead!" Nya called. She knew it, Lloyd, was dead, right? Agent Cooper said something else, Nya wasn't interested in listening to the guy's bull-crap. Then he pulled off the hood of his prisoner and her heart stopped.

It was Lloyd.

After seventeen years, filthy, bruised, scarcely conscious, his hair practically missing, one eye scarred shut, but it was still the same, Lloyd Garmadon, her friend, fellow ninja, father of the Empress's son.

"Oh fuck!" Kai gasped. "He, he's ALIVE?"

"They kept him prisoner for that many years!" Skylor exclaimed. "The bastards!"

"But, we can't let him die!" Nya told them. "Not after... after Jay."

"But we can't give him the kids either!" Kai told her. "Shitty shit, he's got us!"

"You have ten seconds to seal the deal!" Agent Cooper called, grinning. "Or he dies. Ten, nine, eight..."

"What do we do?" Nya asked, fearful. "He'll shoot Lloyd!"

"We could try and save him!" Kai suggested.

"Cover that distance in five seconds? He'll be dead before you're halfway!" Skylor told him. Kai groaned and gave the wall a little kick.

"I HATE being powerless!" He moaned.

"We can't just do nothing!" Nya exclaimed.

"It looks like we have to." Skylor told her. Nya averted her eyes, she didn't want to watch.

"Three, two..." Counted Agent Cooper.

...

"Gideon!" Cecilia gasped, dropping from the trees, making the four teenagers jump.

"Cecy!" Lauren gasped. "Why, what the... what are YOU doing here?"

Cecilia ignored her, she approached Gideon.

"Gideon, you have to help him, use your power!"

"Why me?" Gideon asked nervously. "I can't fight them... I just... I can't."

"Gideon, that's Lloyd Garmadon!" Cecilia told him.

"Wait, Garmadon?" Harvey asked.

"Yes." Cecilia said with a smile. "Gideon, that man down there is your father!"

...

"Two, one!" Agent Cooper cried. "Last chance ninja, prepare to have your friend die in front of you! Won't be the first time, oh wait, yes he only wishes he died!"

"Shut up!" Cole shouted. He had never hated someone so much in his life.

"Well them, say goodbye." Agent Cooper grinned his finger tightened on the trigger...

And a huge bolt of green energy knocked him sideways. A seventeen year old boy ran out from the trees, his expression determined.

"Get away from..." He gritted his teeth. "My father!"

"Gideon!" The ninja cried.

"Gideon?" Murmured Lloyd, forcing his eyes painfully open. he was in bad condition, he had been beaten, shot several times in the shoulder and had been given a drug which kept him conscious and in pain. The figure using his energy powers swam before him, but Lloyd could see who it was. His cut lips curved into a smile.

"Why, little Gideon Grandville Garmadon!" Agent Cooper smiled, moving his gun away from Lloyd's head, knowing the green ninja was in no condition to run. "The last time I saw you, you were a few hours old! And now look at you, defending a man you barely know!"

"Shut up!" Gideon spat, another energy orb forming in his hands. "Or I'll blast you into next week!"

"Of course, you don't know the truth, do you son? The whole truth? Where your father's been all these years? Why he ABANDONED you?"

Gideon's expression was caving, Cecilia could see it. See the desperation, and the unsurity. "Oh no!" She whispered. "Oh no, oh no, oh no..."

"The truth is, your father betrayed the ninja and came to work for us, back at DarkFlight. An asset to the team, ready to help us, ready to take you kids down! He's no father of yours, and certainly not a ninja!"

"You lie!" Came a feeble voice. Both Agent Cooper and Gideon looked down to Lloyd. When he had been dropped by the other man, Lloyd had fallen face down onto the gravel, and he had now propped himself up on his elbows. "You lie!" He said again, and gave a cough. A little blood trickled out the corner of his mouth.

"I was taken the day my son was born, tortured in your headquarters until I decided to join you in order to make sure you were nowhere near the children. I kept away for seventeen years, so my son could be safe! Safe from people like you." He turned his head to Agent Cooper. "I hate you. I have hated you for seventeen years and I will never stop. I would never betray my son and my friends." He turned to Gideon. "When all this is over, I hope you can forgive me." He told him.

"Shut UP!" Agent Cooper roared. He whipped an extra gun from his belt and pointed it at Gideon, the original moving back to Lloyd's head. "If either of you move, the you BOTH get blown into next week! Backup is coming and I will take the pair of you, and you-" He turned to Lloyd. "I always suspected you. I will make sure you die painfully and slowly and make sure I am watching!"

Gideon looked at the gun pointed at his chest, the Agent's finger curled around the trigger. He looked at the man who he knew was his father, too weak to defend himself. He knew what he had to do. He had practised in secret, and knew he could fight with it.

"I'm going to be like you dad." He told Lloyd. "Ninja go!" He spun and his body whirred into a spinjitzu vortex.

Agent Cooper took a few steps back, unsure suddenly. He had never faced spinjitzu before, he knew it was one of the weaker fighting styles, but still incredibly dangerous. Gideon's bright green tornado headed straight for him. Agent Cooper dived out of the way, dropping his guns. The tornado wobbled and Gideon reappeared, a little wobbly, but his expression set.

Agent Cooper laughed. "You're not even armed! And you're a child!" What hope can a mere child have against defeating me?"

"He's more than a child." Lloyd groaned from the floor, unable to even lift his head. "He's my son. Gideon Garmadon is loyal, brave and unafraid of danger. He'll kick your ass any day."

"Yeah!" Gideon exclaimed, grinning. "I can kick your butt! And you're not armed either!" Agent Cooper growled and kicked Lloyd in the shoulder. The man gave a cry of pain.

"On the contrary..." Agent Cooper drew a knife from his shirt sleeve. "This knife was your good-for-nothing father's. He cut my eye out with it. I returned the favour. And now it will spill your blood."

Gideon took a few steps back. He was ready. "Bring it, bastard!" He cried.

...

"We need to help him!" Nya cried, but Kai grabbed her arm.

"Nya, this is Gideon's fight. And Lloyd could easily be killed in a major crossfire!"

"But he's a CHILD!" Nya shook her brother off. "He's SEVENTEEN!"

"We were doing worse at seventeen." Cole reminded her. "You became the water ninja and battled with an entire ghostly army at seventeen!"

"I was trained, I was Samauri X for years!" Nya told him, but both Kai and Cole grabbed her arms.

"We have to protect the kids." Skylor reminded her. It was agony, but Nya knew she had to sit and watch...

...

Agent Cooper swiped at Gideon with the knife, and Gideon jumped backwards, hurling bolts of green energy, but he was fast losing his strength. Agent Cooper, however, his attacks were only getting more vicious. With a spur of strength, he kicked Gideon in the stomach, and the Master of Energy fell down, dazed.

"It's over ninja!" Agent Cooper cried, grabbing Lloyd off the ground by his collar. "I win! I WIN!" And he plunged the knife into Lloyd's chest.

"No!" Nya screamed, and the ninja were unable the hold her back. Nya ran towards Agent Cooper, prepared to throttle the man to death, but someone else got there first. A figure fell from the sky, landing right in front of Agent Cooper. It was Cecilia Wood.

"Bastard!" Cecilia cried, and she threw a gust of wind into Agent Cooper. The man dropped the green ninja onto the floor and was sent spiralling backwards onto his car. Cecilia ran to him in a blaze of anger and started kicking him hard in the stomach so he doubled over in pain, despite the firm layer of muscle over it.

"You, don't, deserve, to, live, you, waste, of, oxygen, waste, of, space, die!" Cecilia yelled kicking hard in between each word. Agent Cooper feel to the ground, momentarily dazed.

"Cecilia-" Nya called, running over, but lost in her anger, Cecilia grabbed one of the fallen guns and, before thinking twice, pulled the trigger. She shot Agent Cooper through the head, a bang echoing over the clearing, casing Lauren, Harvey, Bobby and Roy to run from their hiding places and make a break for the cabin. The other ninja ran out to help the situation.

Cecilia dropped the gun, her hands shaking. Her breath began to come out in gasps. She couldn't believe she had just killed a man.

"Cecilia?" The black haired woman came over to her. Cecilia shook her head and turned away from Agent Cooper's body.

"Lloyd, he's..." She took one step before fainting into the woman's arms.

"Lloyd!" Kai called running as fast as he could, but Gideon scrambled to his feet and went to his father first.

"Gideon!" Lloyd gasped, the knife sticking out of his chest like an ugly mistake in a painting, something that didn't belong.

"Dad, I'm, I'm here!" Gideon gasped. "What should I, should I..."

"You have your mother's hair." Lloyd sighed, brushing his hand gently over his son's forehead, before his eyes closed.


	16. Chapter 15

**I'm sorry, but I may not post as regularly as I used to for a while, because school is back in my timetable and I have a part time job, so not a lot of writing time. This here took AGES!**

 _He blinked his eyes open. Everything was dark. He knew immediately where he was, what had happened. "Hey!" He screamed. "You bastards, let me out of here, show yourselves!" He tried to lurch forwards, but his wrists caught painfully on spikes chains. He gave a short gasp of pain and narrowed his eyes. "Did you hear me, SHOW yourselves, you fucking COWARDS!"_

 _"No need for that sort of language here, green ninja. Then again, there aren't any children yet." He leaned forwards, trying to make out the man who had spoken. There he was, the same bastard who had interrupted what should have been the best moment of his life Had been the best moment of his life._

 _"What do you want from me?" He yelled. "Why am I here, where's Kai and Jay and... HARUMI! HARUMI!"_

 _"You are the only one here." The other man told him. "You are alone, no one is coming for you." He stepped forwards into the light and he could see him. The dark glasses, the suit. Agent Cooper._

 _"Shitbag!" He screamed. "Get away!"_

 _"You're not in position to give the orders here." Agent Cooper said. He flicked a switch and he blinked in the sudden light, even though it was very dim. He could see now, he was lashed to a metal chair with spikey cuffs. He was shirtless, a few bruises scattered over his tors, a particularly nasty one over his ribs. And above him, some kind of gun or laser pointer... He had no idea._

 _"You were a ninja." Agent Cooper said. "You-"_

 _"I AM a ninja!" He spat, still furiously angry. "And you will be sorry!"_

 _"You know where the ninja hide." Agent Cooper said. "Answers, now!"_

 _"I have no idea." He grinned. "We never planned for this."_

 _"Have it your way then." Agent Cooper flicked another switch and the laser pointer above him began to glow._

 _"What the fuck is this?!" He screamed, beginning to thrash against his chains._

 _"Focused sunlight." Agent Cooper told him. "I believe it's quite painful."_

 _As the first ray hit his skin, it was agony. He screamed._

...

Kai gave a massive yawn and leant against the cabin wall. He was sick of standing, but there was no room to sit. The sleeping elemental masters covered most of the space and no one wanted to discuss battle plans in the remaining corner. Where the green ninja lay. Lloyd was deeply unconscious, his breathing scarcely showing and his wound bandaged up. It had stopped bleeding a while ago, but he had lost a lot of blood and the floor of an old cabin wasn't the best place to recover. The only signs of life were his occasional facial expressions and twitches of his fingers.

"So the dragons can't be used for the getaway, the tunnel's blocked up at the other end, what's there to do?" Skylor asked. Kai sighed and closed his eyes. They'd been going around in circles for over an hour, and were getting nowhere. He just wanted it to be OK again, for Jay to be alive and the eight of them, back in the temple, sitting around in the temple, Jay chatting loudly to anyone who would listen, Nya grinning, holding his hand. Harumi was there, without the responsibility of ruing, Cole's face, scar-less, and Skylor eating crisps and grinning at him as they watched old programmes of themselves on TV.

"Kai, Kai?!" Kai jumped awake and realised he had fallen asleep against the cabin door.

"Err, yeah, I agree." He said, rubbing his eyes.

"That we should give up!" Nya gasped, astounded. Kai shook his head.

"No, I meant what you said before that." Nya sighed.

"You weren't listening, were you?"

"No." Kai sighed. "Face it sis, we've being going round this for ages, and we're no closer to salvation than we were when we started! I'm exhausted, we're not going to get anywhere by staying up pointlessly all night."

"Yeah, Kai's right." Cole agreed. "Two of us should keep watch though, I'll go."

"So will I." Said Nya. "You two, get some rest." She said, turning to Kai and Skylor. Kai nodded, stumbled over to an empty spot and practically crashed onto the floor. Skylor rolled her eyes.

"Men." She muttered, and sat down against a wall, next to her boyfriend. The pair had never chosen to marry, unlike Jay and Nya. They seemed comfortable in their current relationship. Nya found herself wishing she hadn't married either. Maybe then, her heart wouldn't hurt as badly as it did now.

"I'm sorry Nya." Cole sighed out of nowhere. Nya frowned and looked up.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"About everything." Cole told her, looking at the ground. "For leaving when I should have stayed to fight. For bringing... bringing Jay here. Maybe I should have just left him to be cremated."

"No." Nya placed a hand on his arm. "You had a right to leave, and Jay... it wouldn't have lessened the effect to leave Jay where he was. He deserves better than being burnt in a place he hated, I suppose."

"He hated it there?" Cole asked.

"Yeah, it was a constant reminder that we weren't safe, and that we couldn't be the vigilantes we once were. He detested being locked in that house, though he never said so."

Cole considered this, everything Jay had gone through. Without him. He put his head in his hands.

"I shouldn't have left." He groaned. "If I'd stayed, been at that hospital, then maybe I could..."

"Could have done what? Stopped Lloyd from being taken? You would have been taken as well maybe, or knocked out like Kai. Your own son would have been taken too! Perhaps." She gestured towards Roy curled up on the floor beside Cecilia, who was either still unconscious, or asleep. "Roy seems like a great kid, by the way."

"I hope." Cole sighed. "His mother left when she found out DarkFlight might be after Roy but she was never... mentally secure." He sighed. "I've got to make it out of this alive."

"I'm so sorry Cole." Nya placed a hand on Cole's arm. "If we hadn't taken Roy, then you wouldn't have been dragged into this mess."

"DarkFlight would have found us anyway." Cole shrugged her hand off. "And I'd prefer for my life-long friends to be looking after my son, rather than some slimy suited gits."

Nya smiled. "We'll always be your friends Cole." She looked over to Kai and Skylor, sound asleep. "But it's not like the solution to our problems is just going to walk through the wall!"

The pair grinned, and jumped in shock as four people appeared in the cabin.

"Oh god, how do you DO that so effortlessly!" A woman stumbled forwards, appearing out of a shadow, clinging to the wall. A teenage girl mirrored her, but a teenage boy and a man stood firm, grinning. The past and present masters of Shadow.

"You're doing good!" The man grinned, and the pair high fived.

"Shade!" Exclaimed Nya. "Josh, Chamille, and... bloody hell, Tabitha!"

"Yeah, some things have changed!" The teenage girl recovered herself.

"How the hell did you know to get here!" Nya asked. "And keep it down, everyone else is asleep."

"Cole told us we had to rescue Josh and Tabitha, and then sent the location." Shade said. "What's going down?"

"A lot." Cole sighed. "A lot's going down."

...

"Roy!" Cecilia hissed, shaking the Master of Earth awake.

"Huh, what..."

"Roy, I'm getting out of here!" Cecilia whispered. Roy's head sat up at once.

"You're what!"

"Getting out, I, I need to figure out what DarkFlight are planning. I can just... just feel that I need to be out there!"

"Cess, I'm not sure that's the wisest choice."

"I've been waiting, lying awake for the past few hours. Everyone else is asleep, look!" She gestured to the rest of the cabin, where everyone either leant against the wall or lying on the floor.

"Not the most comfy of locations, is it?" Roy muttered, lifting his head properly from his hoodie, which he was using as a pillow. It was slightly smeared by his hair dye. "What do you want me to do, smuggle you out in a bin bag?"

"No, I'll use Josh's power." Cecilia told him. "I want you to tell everyone where I've gone if they miss me."

"Why didn't you just wake up shadow boy?" Roy asked.

"Because, well, I've known him longer, but I trust you more." Cecilia was relieved it was too dark for Roy to see her blush. "You won't fight me on this."

"Too true." Roy smiled. "You're a capable person, Cess. Go."

"Thank you." Cecilia smiled, and scurried over to Josh. She shook him by the shoulder, just the right amount so he wouldn't come directly awake.

"What?" Josh mumbled sleepily.

"I need you to transport me through the wall." Cecilia whispered.

"Whatever, let me sleep." Josh moaned, unaware of the situation, just like Cecilia knew he would be. He gripped her arm and shoved her outwards. It was a horrible experience, and Cecilia leant against the cabin wall for a few moments, recovering herself. She only then realised she had no way back.

"Well, where are you, agents?" She whispered, and began to walk into the woods, away from the spot where she had shot Agent Cooper. Even though his backup had come and taken the car and body, she didn't want to be back there.

Cecilia had barely gone twenty meters before she got the biggest shock of her life.

"Cecilia Wood." Said a voice, and a familiar figure appeared behind her.


	17. Chapter 16

Cecilia jumped and whirled around. She gasped in shock. Standing before her was, well there didn't seem any other way to describe it, a ghost. They stood taller than her, glowing gold, floating three inches from the ground. Cecilia couldn't see any other colour than the gold, but for some reason, she could tell what colours there were meant to be - the long hair was black, the paler streak through it, pine green. Cecilia stumbled backwards, a little overwhelmed.

"Wh, what the, who..."

"Who am I? What am I?" The ghost gave a casual, laughing smile. "All shall be revealed shortly, Cecilia."

"You're a ghost, aren't you?" Cecilia asked, though she knew full well the answer to both of her earlier questions. "From the departed realm?"

"Yes, all departed realm ghosts tend to look like this." The ghost told her. "We are gold, whereas the cursed realm ghosts are a sort of pale green. Inside, it is different too. In one, anger weighs you down like an anchor. Now all I feel is light." He smiled, then shook his head to gather himself.

"If you're from the departed realm, what are you doing here?" Cecilia asked.

"The first spinjitzu master sent me here." The ghost told her. "He has... concerns, and has decided to intervene. He sent me to find you. So I summoned you."

"That was why I needed to get out of there." Cecilia noted. The ghost issued a nod. He was definitely familiar, too familiar, yet Cecilia had never met him, she was sure of it. Perhaps a younger Agent Cooper, no, he would have gone to the cursed realm for sure. Cecilia reached absent-mindedly to her own black hair and tucked a particular lock behind her ear, revealing a thin streak of pale green running through her hair, which she usually had kept hidden.

"Yes, but I haven't much time. I can only remain here for a short while." The ghost reached inside his cloak and brought out a golden package, and handed it to Cecilia.

"What is it?" She asked.

"A gift." The ghost told her. "From the first spinjitzu master to the elemental masters and those willing to fight for them. He also gave me a message. Listen close."

Cecilia took a step forwards and the ghost leaned towards her.

"Some people try to understand everything about our crazy little world." The ghost whispered. "But that is impossible. So their desire to understand consumes them and can often lead to hate. They mustn't be punished, but taught." He stood back.

"Strange little message." Cecilia muttered.

"He's a strange, powerful, god-like being or whatever he is." The ghost grinned and Cecilia grinned back.

"Can I unwrap it?"

"Go ahead." Cecilia gently unwrapped the layers of golden cloth or paper, she wasn't sure exactly what it was. The wrappings fell away and vanished. Cecilia held in her hands, a small, golden dagger.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"Everything is not what it appears." The ghost said. "I your hands, you appear to hold a weapon, yet this does not take away life, but gives it where it would have been taken away. Many things are the same, death may not be death, a friend may not be a friend, and a stranger could have more connections than you know."

Cecilia shrugged. "Whatever." She balanced the dagger in one hand. It didn't feel like a weapon, too light. She looked up at the ghost. "What is this?"

"As I said, looks like a weapon, does the opposite. It can bring someone back from the brink of death, or even when they're already dead." Cecilia gasped and stared down at the dagger.

"You mean..." She smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me." The ghost told her. "Thank the first spinjitzu master." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Cecilia called. The ghost turned back just as the sun began to rise. "I'll thank you for something else." Cecilia said. "Morro."

The ghost frowned.

"I know you're my father." Cecilia told him. "I know you did bad things, but that's OK. I forgive you."

"You don't know me." Morro, or, Cecilia's father, said. "How can you call me a father?"

"I can do whatever I want." Cecilia told him.

"I used to have that attitude." Morro said with a slight smile. He carried on smiling until the sun properly rose and he faded away. Cecilia realised there was a tear in her eye. She blinked it away.

"Holy crap, I even sound like him!" She exclaimed.

...

Lauren groaned as she rolled over, and sat her head up. She had just had the most uncomfortable night of her life, as the floor of an abandoned old cabin wasn't the best of resting places. Her back, neck and legs all ached. She was cold and hungry. She blinked her eyes open and realised that Gideon was no longer lying next to her, neither was Cecilia.

It was very early morning and everyone else seemed to still be sleeping, including the ninja. Lauren saw her father curled up on the floor next to her mother, and smiled, though she was cringing also. No one wanted to see their parents all loved up. Turning her eyes away, Lauren caught sight of Gideon knelt by the far wall. Lauren picked herself up and went over to him.

Gideon was, of course, kneeling in front of the unconscious man who appeared to be his father. Lauren watched cautiously, but Gideon didn't seem to be particularly upset. He was just kneeling on the floor, watching his father breathing, in and out, in and out.

"Hey." Lauren said quietly. Gideon jumped slightly, but didn't respond. He scooted over the floor to the left, an invitation for Lauren to join him. She took it.

"Must be weird." She sighed. "Finding your real father after all these years."

"I guess." Gideon muttered. The pair looked down at the unconscious man, his chest wrapped in bandages, his shoulders scarred.

"I can only imagine how kids like you feel." Lauren told him. "Growing up back in the house, everyone was alone, only had each other. But me and Delia, we had parents and everyone knew it. I thought I'd never have friends, because I was so different." Lauren half expected Gideon to say something else deep, but he said nothing. Lauren blushed as red as her sister's hair.

"You actually do look like him." She said finally. Gideon's shoulders started to shake. Lauren made to wrap an arm around his shoulders before she realised he was laughing.

"I risked my life!" Gideon stated matter-of-factly. "I risked my life for a man I don't even know!" His laughter died into silence. Lauren had no idea what to say to this.

"He's your source of DNA." She told him weakly. Gideon shrugged.

"If living in a house of other parentless kids has taught me anything, it's that family doesn't require DNA." Lauren shrugged.

"As I said, I've never known what it's like to have no parents."

"And what about my mother?" Gideon continued as if Lauren hadn't spoken. "I mean, it's obvious we're related, we're practically identical, but he said something about my mother's hair, is my mother still alive? And if so, where is she? Did he even know her? Did he love her? Or am I just the spawn of some short lived relationship?"

"He knew your name, he cared about you, it's obvious your parentage is more than that." Lauren placed a hand on his arm. "And my parents aren't married either."

"Yeah, wedlock babies united!" Gideon declared. He turned to Lauren and smiled that beautiful smile of his. Before Lauren knew what she was doing, she was leaning towards him, and he was leaning towards her...

A furious banging sounded at the door.

"SHIT!" Gasped Lauren's father, jerking off the floor. Gideon moved quickly away from his father, and Lauren turned around.

"Nya, Cole!" Lauren's mother came awake far more gracefully. "Weren't you supposed to be guarding the door?"

"Yeah, we were." The man with the badly scarred face said, yawning. He and the other woman had been sound asleep, leaning against each other's shoulders. "But we err, fell asleep."

"Unbelievable." Lauren's father yawned. "Hey, who's that at the door?"

"It's Cecilia." Roy yawned, putting his hoodie on.

"Cecilia!" Josh gasped, sitting bolt upright. "What's she doing out there, she... oh shit." He bit his fingernail nervously.

"Cecilia?" Called Lauren's mother.

"Yeah, let me in, quick!" Cecilia called.

"She's in trouble!" Josh and Roy gasped at the exact same time. The scarred man hurried to the door, undid the lock, and very carefully opened the door.

Cecilia pushed past him, something clutched in her hands.

"Cecilia, what-" The other female ninja began, but Cecilia hurried over to Gideon's father. She knelt down next to him.

"Cecy, what...?" Lauren trailed off.

"It'll help him." Cecilia told her. She revealed what she was holding, a golden dagger.

"Erm, that's a weapon, not a-"

"Don't worry, it does the opposite." Cecilia held the dagger above Gideon's father. She held it there for a moment, before shaking her head.

"Why not, oh, I see, thanks dad." She grinned. Lauren gave a shrug to the staring onlookers. It appeared her best friend had gone mad.

"Gideon." Cecilia held out the dagger towards Gideon, who was watching terrified from the corner.

"What?" He asked, coming forwards a little.

"You should do it." Cecilia told him. "This dagger, it works on love. Sure, I owe this man, but I don't love him."

"I, I just met him." Gideon told her, biting his lip. "This guy, he's a stranger to me."

"Cecilia, what is this?" Lauren's father came forward. "Where did you get the dagger from?"

"The first spinjitzu master sent it to me." Cecilia told him. Everyone gasped. "And I was told by... his messenger that the one who was torn away from loving the one we were saving is the one who should us this." She turned to Gideon. "That's you, I know it is."

Gideon took a deep breath and took the dagger in shaking hands. He breathed out and his expression became determined as he faced his father.

"See you on the other side." He muttered, and stabbed his father through the chest.

For a moment, Cecilia was terrified she had got it all wrong, that Lloyd would die and it would be all her fault. But then, the man took a steady breath and the dagger vanished in a golden glow. His face twitched and everyone in the cabin watched in agony, especially Gideon and the ninja.

"Do I have to get up mum?" Lloyd murmured softly, and his eyes fluttered open.

"Lloyd!" The other female ninja gasped, scrambling forwards. Lloyd frowned.

"Nya, what are you doing here." He frowned. "Eh, this isn't DarkFlight!"

"Oh my GOD, he's OK!" Lauren's father shouted in a burst of happiness, and scrambled forwards wrapping his arms around Lloyd. Despite his injuries, Lloyd didn't wince.

"Kai?" He muttered. "What happened, why..." He gave a small start as everything came back to him. Then he smiled and hugged Lauren's father back.

"God, I thought I'd never see a friendly face again." Lloyd whispered. Then he opened his eyes and they met Gideon's.

"Thank you for saving me." He smiled. Cecilia let out a sigh of relief as Gideon scrambled forwards and hugged his father

"Thanks dad." She whispered.


	18. Chapter 17

**Gotta warn you, this chapter contains sad/gruesome details.**

"Cecilia?" Cecilia turned to see Josh had come over to her.

"Yeah?" She asked. Since Lloyd's revival, the adults had been sat in a corner, planning, leaving the elemental masters to their own devices. Some were chatting, some playing cards, some were still asleep.

"I wanted to say, I'm sorry." Josh said, blushing a little. "I shouldn't have sent you through the wall, it was just, I-"

"Josh, that's OK." Cecilia told him. "I wanted to go and besides, if I hadn't, Lloyd would have died."

"Yeah, but that's not the point." Josh said, going slightly redder. "I mean, anything could have happened to you out there, and I," He flushed darker than Tabitha's red hair. "I care about you Cecilia."

"I care about you too." Cecilia told him. "As a friend, of course."

"Oh yeah, yeah, me too." Josh told her, going even redder. They sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"Hey Cess, come here for a moment." Roy called. Cecilia sprang up, glad for an escape.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing, I could just tell you wanted to get out of there. Awkward conversations, deep feels." Cecilia sighed.

"Great. I just don't know how to let him down gently." Roy's hazel eyes widened.

"You mean, you don't fancy him back?"

"No!" Cecilia gave him a weirded out look. "Wait, you actually thought I..." She laughed. "No, not Josh, we're just friends."

"Oh good. You'd make a terrible couple, even if you are the same age."

"I'm three years older than Josh!" Cecilia exclaimed.

"Wait, how old are you?" Cecilia rolled her eyes.

"Eighteen."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. Older than you, sucker!" She grinned.

"I'm eighteen in two months!" Roy protested. Cecilia laughed.

"Aww, baby boy. Don't worry, I don't think me and Josh will ever be an item." She looked over at the Master of Shadow, who was talking with Tabitha. Cecilia had been initially shocked to discover Tabitha's speedy aging, but Tabitha seemed fine with it. Cecilia just hoped she really was fine.

"Roy!" Called a voice. It was Cole, beckoning his son. Roy sighed.

"Catch you later Cess." He pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against and went over to his father.

...

"Roy, us guys are going to scout around to see if it's safe to smuggle your kids out of here." Cole told his son. "And I want you to go with them, guide them to a safe location." He looked hopefully at his son.

"No." Roy said immediately. "Hell no, I'm not leaving like a coward, and I'll make an expensive bet no one else is rooting for that idea." He gestured briefly to the other elemental masters.

"Roy..." Cole sighed. "I need you to be safe."

"Why? You don't think I can be brave? Or you don't want me there when you ditch everyone again?"

"Roy, you know I-"

"No!" Roy snapped loud enough to attract attention, stepping backwards. "I'm braver than you are, I wouldn't have abandoned my team and I'm not abandoning the fight now!"

"Don't be childish!" Cole snapped. Then he seemed to cave into his usual solemn manner. "I, there was a reason I left."

"There's always a reason that you're never willing to tell!" Roy snapped. "I think it's because you're a COWARD! Well I'm not!"

"Roy, you-"

"No!" Roy snapped. Everyone was listening now. "I'm sick of your bullshit! Either you tell me right now, tell everyone, why you quit being a ninja, or I will disown you on the spot!" Cole looked into his son's eyes. They were filled with fury. Roy meant business. He gave a sigh.

"Cole, you don't have to." Kai said, but Cole shook his head.

"No, I do. You guys need to hear this as well." He turned to Roy with an expression of deep sadness.

"Around eighteen years ago, I had it all." He said, his voice a monotone. "Friends, a good ninja team, an apartment of my own, a pregnant girlfriend. But, as usual, trouble emerged. The was between the dragons and the Oni back in the first realm had been won by the dragons, and their chief wanted to destroy the realm created by the half dragon, half Oni being, the first spinjitzu dragon. So he showed up, started wrecking things, killing people, the usual. And us ninja went to defeat him. In order to destroy Ninjago, the dragon chief needed a special amulet, which us ninja were able to find first. But we were captured." Cole's voice faltered for a moment, but he continued.

"One of us had the amulet, and the dragon chief didn't know which." Cole sighed. "They say dragons are good, but that is a lie. Rather than kill us all, the dragon chief was clever. He had already singled me out as a defender of the team from a previous battle, where I stated I would never abandon or betray my friends. The dragon chief singled me out in front of all the others and said... these were his exact words." Cole spoke through gritted teeth with his eye shut, as if the mere memory terrified him, which it probably did.

"You are brave, black ninja. You say you would never abandon or betray your friends. But are they brave? Would they ever abandon or betray you?" Cole opened his eye, watching Roy, who was still frowning. "The dragon chief had us for a week. Every day, he carved a small part of this line into my face." Cole's shaking hand pointed limply to his scar. "It was agony, every day, more and more pain. And every day, the dragon chief told them that he would leave me alone if they surrendered the amulet. They never did. Seven days of torture, leaving me half blind." Cole paused for a moment, then continued.

"There is some kind of poison in a dragon's claws. The wounds they cause never heal, never stop hurting. By the third day, I was delirious. Eventually we were rescued by our girlfriends." He grinned briefly, then his face snapped back into the deep sadness and hurt. "And the dragon chief was banished back to his own realm. And I healed. True, the scar still pains me even today, but I got better. Kind of. The ninja, they, they were sympathetic of course. I could tell Jay blamed himself, and Kai did as well, because he was the one hiding the amulet. But, I, I was too hurt mentally. I lashed out." Cole sucked in a breath. "I told them all it was their fault, and that they should have surrendered. I called them cowards, my friends, the people who had been with me since the very beginning. I knew I could never fight beside them again, so I moved away with my girlfriend, never to see them again. The last call I got before I changed my number was Jay, asking about the baby." Cole closed his eye again to hide the fact that there were tears in it. "I called him a useless prick. I just couldn't stand to hear his voice. And then, eighteen years later, he dies in my arms..." Cole rubbed his eye slightly and looked up.

"That's it. That is why I quit being a ninja. Yes, I was a coward, and I don't deserve to call myself a friend of these great people." He looked over at the ninja, who were all looking equally solemn.

"Dad, I..." Roy seemed, for once, lost for words. "I had no idea."

"I never wanted you to." Cole told him. "I wanted to keep you hidden from this world, but it has caught up with us at last. All I want is you and your sister safe again, and this whole mess to be over."

"Sorry, but no can do." Roy grinned. "I'm the son of a ninja and I'm an elemental master. Danger is in my blood. I'm not going anywhere."

"Me neither." Cecilia called out from the mass of elemental masters, standing up. Roy smiled at her.

"Neither am I!" Lauren and Josh stood at the same time, and grinned at each other.

"Nor me." Gideon and Tabitha said. There came various more shouts until every elemental master was on their feet, looking determined.

"I guess this is a battle we all have to fight." Roy told his father. "The more the merrier, eh?"

Cole shook his head and smiled.

"I guess we have no choice." He said.


	19. Chapter 18

"See anybody?" Nya asked. Lloyd shook his head. The pair of them stood alone on the woods near the cabin, within earshot of the others in case someone ran into trouble. The adults had left the elemental masters alone in the cabin under the protection of Roy, Lauren, Cecilia and Gideon. They had wanted Lloyd to stay back as well, but the green ninja had insisted that he was fine. He stood in the forest now, perfectly sturdy, wearing Kai's jacket, as the top half of his DarkFlight suit was covered with blood.

Nya knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help herself, the stresses and sadness of the last twenty four hours had manifested itself in a form of recklessness in her body. "Lloyd, what were you doing for the last seventeen years?"

The green ninja froze briefly. "You know where I was." He said, looking at the ground.

"Yeah, but what I mean is, what did you do? What did DarkFlight do? Other than play poker and visit each other's weddings?" Lloyd sighed.

"Not much, just scanning Ninjago in search parties and the like. But I didn't properly join until three years had passed, they had to be sure that I was to be trusted and that they'd tortured me enough."

"Wait, tortured?" Nya gasped, coming over to him.

"Yeah, haven't you seen?" Lloyd unzipped the jacket to show his bare chest. Nya hadn't paid close attention before, but now she could see that her friend's torso was a mass of scars and burns.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's a few souvenirs I have to take with me." Lloyd said. "Along with the ugly scar from the stab wound." He pointed.

"You have a smiley face burnt into your shoulder." Nya noted.

"Yeah, believe it or not, they actually have a decent sense of humour." Lloyd gave a small grin, zipping the jacket up again. "I do believe I have some of their initials carved into my-"

"OK, I don't really need to know." Nya told him. "But, how are you so calm about this? How are you joking? That must have hurt like hell!"

"Because if I don't then I'll break down!" Lloyd snapped. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I spent seventeen years believing that I'd never see my friends again, that I'd never see my son grow up. I lost hope, but tortured myself still going through life." He rolled down the jacket sleeve and showed Nya his wrists. She gasped.

"Lloyd..."

"And worse still, I felt like I'd betrayed you." Lloyd told her. "That I joined DarkFlight to capture the elemental masters, rather than to protect them. I lost my way so many times, lost in the stream of steady DarkFlight propaganda. And I had no one to talk to, as they all thought I was an agent now. Agent Montgomery." He rolled his sleeve back up, covering the vicious scars which lay there. "It was like I was two people, Lloyd Garmadon and Agent Montgomery. It's unlikely I'll ever find the person I was before."

"You will." Nya put a hand on his arm. "I know you will. I believe in you."

"Thanks." Lloyd said with a smile. "Come on, we've still got a lot of woods to cover."

As the pair walked away, they didn't notice a single suited figure ducking behind a tree, grinning broadly.

"Oh we'll find you again, Agent Montgomery." They whispered. "I promise."

...

"Nothing."

"No agents that we saw."

"Nobody."

They all looked at Shade and Chamille, the remaining search party.

"Do we even need to speak?" Shade sighed.

"That's odd." Skylor muttered. "DarkFlight aren't the sort of people to give up without a fight."

"There was a fight." Lloyd reminded her. "Gideon and Cecilia kicked David's ass." They all frowned at him. "That's Agent Cooper's real name." He told them. David Cooper."

Nya listened for Jay to make some joke about the dead man, but was reminded with a heavy pull on her heart. She missed Jay, every second of every minute of every hour. But she took a deep breath and tuned in on the conversation again.

"That's it!" Kai exclaimed, turning to Lloyd. "You were with DarkFlight for years! You'll know all about them, you can tell us!" Lloyd frowned a little and Nya suddenly thought back to their conversation in the woods.

"They probably weren't a very social bunch." She said quickly.

"On the contrary, when you spend almost two decades looking for a bunch of kids, you have a lot of time on your hands. Agents are people too, remember."

"So, any juicy details?" Skylor asked with a grin. Lloyd grinned back, and cleared his throat.

...

"OK, here's the plan." Kai announced to the elemental masters. "You're going to make a break for it, small groups at a time. Head east, a mile or so away the forest runs out, Shade will meet you there at a second safehouse we found. Us ninja are going to be situated at regular checkpoints along the way. If you're attacked, use your powers to defend, attack, hide, whatever, just look after yourselves and each other. We're going to leave in a minute, wait fifteen minutes after that, then the first group go. The second waits fifteen minutes before going after them, and so on. Got it?"

Everyone nodded, their expressions deadly serious.

"We're going to leave now, remember. Fifteen minuets." Kai turned towards the door.

"Dad?" Called Delia from the front of the crowd. Kai turned and knelt down to match the height of the eight year old.

"Yeah, darling?" The little girl threw her arms around her father's neck.

"Don't die!" She whispered.

"I'll do my best." Kai said gravely. He winked when he saw his daughter's face. "Kidding, I'm not going anywhere!" Delia gave him one last hug, and then hurried over to her mother. Kai found his other daughter's eyes in the crowd. "Come on Lauren! Too old to hug your father?"

"Get lost!" Lauren laughed. "No one's dying on this trip."

It all happened very fast, Skylor peeled Delia away, the ninja gave the kids a brief nod, then they were gone.

Roy jumped to his feet. He had become some sort of a leader to the rest of the elemental masters in the past few hours, the strange, brave boy from the outside. And Cecilia seemed to trust him, so why not let him look after them.

"Anyone got an electric watch?" Roy asked. Owen put his hand up.

"Time fifteen minutes." Roy told him. "OK, there's nineteen of us, so groups of five. That'll take half an hour to-"

"An hour." Harvey called out.

"Huh?"

"An hour. Four lots of fifteen minutes is an hour."

"Yeah, thanks, never was much good at maths." Roy nodded towards him. "Get yourselves into groups."

Cecilia took an instant step towards Roy, she wasn't leaving him alone. He noticed her and grinned.

"I guess we're going together, huh Cess."

"Yep." Cecilia nodded, as Josh and Tabitha approached her.

"Time for the fantastic four to get back in action?" Tabitha asked with a grin. Cecilia nodded.

"Yeah, there'll be one group of four, that'll be us." They all grinned at each other, except Josh and Roy, who grinned at the girls only.

"Cecy?" Cecilia turned to see Lauren stood behind her. "I'm going with Gideon, Bobby and Harvey, but we need another person, you want to come?" She asked hopefully. Cecilia felt bad for letting her best friend down, but she had her mind made up.

"Sorry Lauren, I'm going with Roy, Josh and Tabitha. Take your sister."

"Of course. The escapees." Cecilia frowned. Lauren sounded a little spiteful.

"Lauren, what's the matter?" Lauren sighed.

"What happened to us, Cecy? We used to be so close, and now look at us." She looked at the ground.

"To be honest," Cecilia pulled Lauren off a little way so the others couldn't hear. "Roy happened." She whispered. Lauren frowned, then her eyes widened.

"Oh, I see!" She grinned. "Well, good luck with that." She turned to go back to her group.

"Keep working at the Gideon thing." Cecilia told her. "He likes you, I can tell."

"Shut up!" Lauren gave her a little shove, giggling. But she thought of the previous night, how close she had come to kissing him...

"I'll see you on the other side." She told her best friend.

...

"OK guys, be careful." Roy whispered as he opened the peephole and looked out. Nothing. Cautiously, he opened the door. Night had fallen, which made it harder for them to be seen, but this worked to the advantage of DarkFlight also.

"OK, go, go GO!" He whispered and the first group, Ross and Robert Dulgatoe, Hannah Shard and two other kids. The five of them made their way cautiously away from the cabin and into the trees.

"Fifteen minutes Owen." Cecilia reminded him. They closed the door. Five down, fourteen to go.


	20. Chapter 19

_He had never been to high school. But if he had, this would be exactly what it would be like. Being the freak. The loser. The weirdo. The kid who's always scared, always alone._

 _He felt like slamming his fist into the bathroom wall, or curling up in a ball like he was seven years old again, running from the skulkin teachers because they scared him. Before he'd been bent on being a villain. Long before he'd been bent on being a hero. He wondered what his past self would say now, looking at him. Pleased he was a villain again? Or disgusted at his remorse? He didn't care, didn't care about much anymore. He wished he could end it all, but that would leave Gideon all alone in the world, and let Them know._

 _He was scared. He was hurting. He was alone._

 _Hurting inside and out, for every scar they had inflicted on him still twinged occasionally. And there was that fresh pain, caused by himself, because of the pain inside. He missed her, missed her voice, her body, her presence. Every day. Constantly._

 _He felt his eyes well up and tried to stop. That was the good thing about the beastly sunglasses, no one could see your eyes. No one could see your pain. David used them to disguise his injury, the one he had put there himself. And he wasn't sorry. He needed to distract himself, so he gripped his elbows and hummed, the song his mother had rocked him to sleep with, the song he had hoped to rock Gideon to sleep with. He knew it by heart and although it made him sad, it calmed him too._

 _'If I could be with you tonight_

 _I would sing you to sleep_

 _Never let them take the light behind your eyes_

 _One day I'll lose this fight_

 _As we fade in the dark_

 _Just remember you will always burn as bright'_

 _He loved that song. It seemed to sum up his current situation. One day all would be revealed and he would die, but his son would be safe. And that was all that mattered. He sniffed and wiped his eyes, putting the dark glasses back on. He would bear it. He would have to._

 _..._

"OK, you guys are going in a few seconds." Josh muttered to Harvey, who nodded. They were the only ones left now. "Three, two, one, GO!" Lauren said one last goodbye to Cecilia, and the five of them slipped away, leaving Josh, Cecilia, Tabitha and Roy alone.

"Fifteen minutes." Tabitha said, re-setting Owen's watch. Cecilia was sat on the floor, and Josh came and sat down next to her. Tabitha was leaning against the far wall and Roy was pacing anxiously up and down the cabin. Without everyone in it, it seemed like a very big, empty cabin.

"Should I use my shadow power?" Josh asked after a while. "You know, extra security?"

"Hell no!" Tabitha exclaimed. "I don't know how you masters of Shadow bear it, but I am never doing that AGAIN!"

"How bad can it be?" Roy asked, the only one who had never travelled by shadow.

"Bad. Trust me." Cecilia told him.

"Urgh, how much time is left?"

"Fourteen minutes." Roy started pacing faster. He was agitated, Cecilia could tell. He wanted to be out.

There was a sudden pounding at the door. All four of them jumped.

"Who is it?" Josh called out, getting to his feet. There was no answer.

"Well done, shadow boy, now the enemy knows we're in here!" Roy said angrily. Josh scowled.

"We don't know for sure that it's an enemy." Cecilia reminded him. "Friend or foe?" She called to the door.

"Foe." Came a deep voice, and the door exploded.

...

Lauren moved ahead of her group, as they made their way swiftly through the trees, Harvey giving Delia a piggy-back. They had already passed Cole at the first checkpoint, and wanted to make it to the second as fast as they could.

"How much further?" Bobby whispered nervously.

"Checkpoint or safety?"

"Checkpoint."

"Not far."

"A while until we get to safety, though." Harvey chimed in.

"Oh, don't say it like that!" Bobby moaned.

"Quiet!" Gideon hissed suddenly, and the group fell silent.

"What is it?" Lauren whispered anxiously.

"I heard footsteps." Gideon whispered back. "Quick, over to the left." He pointed.

"Hello?" Delia called.

"Shut up!" Lauren snapped, though she was secretly panicking.

"There!" Bobby screamed, as five suited figures emerged from the trees at a run. Inside her head, Lauren was freaking out, but she managed to stay calm.

"Remember what the ninja told us!" She shouted. "Powers!" She grabbed her sister's arm so the little girl could absorb her powers. Then she held up her fists, watching them come alight. Harvey tipped Delia gently, but quickly to the ground, and disappeared. Bobby took a few deep breaths and readied his mental state. Gideon cast a green energy shield around himself.

"Calm down kids!" One of the suited figures said in a friendly voice. "I know you've been scared by our co-worker David, but we're not like him. We want to take you someplace safe, and you can contact your real families." He smiled. "Unlike the ninja allowed. They kidnapped you, do you know that?"

Lauren let out a low growl. "Don't trust them." She whispered to Bobby and Harvey.

"What do you take us for, idiots?" Harvey whispered back.

"Yes, the ninja are the bad guys." Another agent agreed. "But us, we can let you be free! Aren't you tired of hiding?" Lauren felt herself growing hotter and hotter with anger. The flames in her hands burned brighter and brighter. She was close to losing control.

"Don't you badmouth my DAD!" Delia yelled, and hurled a bolt of fire at the agent who had spoken. He screamed as his suit caught alight, burning his skin. Delia took a worried step back.

"You little BITCH!" The burning man screamed. "Help me!"

"Shut up!" Snarled the first agent to speak. "You'll scare them!"

"Let them have it!" Lauren cried.

...

Roy coughed in the sudden amount of smoke that had entered the cabin. "Cess..." He gasped, eyes watering. He cleared his throat. "Cess!"

"Roy!" Called a female voice, and he made his way towards it, before discovering that it wasn't Cecilia, but Tabitha.

"Where are the others?" Roy asked.

"I don't know!" Tabitha was still in her DarkFlight overalls, and had pulled the top over her nose and mouth. Roy wished you could do that with a checked shirt.

"Cess!" He called. "Sha- Josh!" There was no answer. "Goddamn!" He cried. He was struggling to breath, and was pretty sure a fire had started somewhere.

"We need to get out of here!" He coughed. Tabitha nodded, and started kicking out at the wall next to her, the back wall of the cabin. "What the hell are you doing?" Roy demanded, feeling a little light headed.

"DarkFlight'll be round the front, we'll have to break out the back." Tabitha panted, struggling to breathe also.

"Let me." Roy told her, and with the last of his strength, created a huge rock and hurled it at the wall. It smashed open.

"Come on!" Tabitha gasped, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the hole. Roy fell to his knees, wrenching and coughing.

"Are you OK?" Tabitha asked.

"Do I look OK?" Roy wheezed, his vision was going blurry, then black. The last thing he saw was a few people in suits hurrying towards them, holding guns.

"Save yourself..." He mumbled, before he lost consciousness altogether.

...

Cecilia heard Roy call her name, and was about to reply, when she felt someone grab her by the back of her jacket and drag her out into the air. She blinked in the light as someone's torch was shone into her eyes.

"Cecilia Wood!" She heard someone declare angrily.

"Get your FILTHY hands OFF ME!" Cecilia spat. She managed to see who was holding her, a tall DarkFlight agent, also scowling. He seemed familiar somehow.

"Not until you are DEAD!" The agent growled. This took Cecilia by surprise, DarkFlight wanted the elemental masters alive, didn't they?

"Why?" She asked, struggling with the man's strong hands. "DarkFlight changed theme, or did you have beef with my father?"

"Beef with YOU, you little BITCH!" The man growled. "You SHOT my brother, David!"

"I didn't, oh yeah, him." Her casual speech seemed to anger the man further.

"Die, you wretch!" He screamed, and grabbed a gun, putting it to Cecilia's head.

 **Points go to whoever can guess what Lloyd's bedtime song is!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Yeah, I'm gonna add in a couple more flashbacks to add depth to the story and numbers to the word count ;)**

 _The radio squeaked, making him jump. He was already anxious, always anxious on nights like this. When he carried a special child in the back of his van._

 _"Hold on." Jay said, leaning over and tweaking the radio a little. "There, that should do it." But no sound came out._

 _"Strange." He said. "I would assume someone was trying to contact us."_

 _"Patchy signal." Jay replied. "Come on, we've gotta get the girl back to safety."_

 _He tightened his fingers on the wheel, steering through the trees. He just wanted to get out of here, back to her, where it was all safe again. Suddenly, the van rocked._

 _"What was that?" Jay gasped. "A big bird?"_

 _"That hypothesis would be incorrect Jay." He informed his comrade. "It is too late at night. All the birds are roosting."_

 _"Whatever, put the pedal to the metal, tin can." He tried, but the van came to a dead halt._

 _"I'll go investigate." Jay said, opening the door._

 _"Jay, no wait."_

 _"What?"_

 _"I have a bad feeling about this predicament."_

 _"What could happen? I'll be fine."_

 _..._

 _His hands sweated as he held the gun. It was just the two of them out here tonight. He could shoot Felix and make a getaway. Theoretically._

 _"I shot the tyre!" Felix exclaimed. He gave a dry nod._

 _"Good work." He lied through gritted teeth. No one knew they were out here, they had planned to return heroes, the elemental master in their grasp. Felix had never been smart, he was young and blindly following promises of great power. It was all he could do not to enlighten the man's perspective. He knew he couldn't let this mission go to plan, but had no idea how he would stop it._

 _"Get closer." He whispered dryly. "I'll stay back and shoot them." The van door opened and a man stepped out, in his early thirties. He was average height and skinny. Even though he wore a beanie hat and it was dark, he knew what colour the man's hair was. Bright auburn. His hands began to shake. This was the closest he had ever come to deserting, coming back to them. But he had to stay, didn't he? To protect Gideon? Or was it only for himself? Was he really a traitor?_

 _..._

 _He sat in the van, Jay stepping outside, turning his head side to side, listening. He reached into the glove compartment and grabbed a pistol. It wasn't like they made these trips unarmed._

 _"Is there anything unusual?" He asked._

 _"No, I don't think, hold on." He ducked to his knees to examine the van. The radio suddenly squawked into life._

 _"Guys, GO, get out, it's a TRAP!" He jumped. That voice._

 _"Lloyd?" He gasped, dumbfounded. Jay reappeared, looking most anxious._

 _"Zane we gotta go, the tyre's been shot, it's a-" But he didn't finish that sentence, because he stumbled back, a small spray of blood flying from his shoulder._

 _"Jay!" He gasped, and leapt out of the van, gun in hand._

 _"I'm armed!" He shouted. "Jay, get in the van, get her out of here!"_

 _"But what about-"_

 _"I'm a nindroid, Jay, I KNOW WHAT TO DO!"_

 _..._

 _Felix shot Jay through the left shoulder, though he was obviously aiming for the heart. Then his head turned to him, wondering about the lack of backup shots. But he couldn't do it. He would have rather shot himself._

 _"Monty?" Felix called. Jay was back in the van now, and, feeling sick, he knew what he had to do. He dropped his gun and ran out._

 _The nindroid saw him, saw that he was unarmed. He raised his gun and fired. A sudden pain burned as a bullet hit his body, the exact same place as Jay's. For a moment, he was completely shocked that one of his best friends had just shot him. Then he remembered. Ex-friend. He neared Zane and dragged the robot, out of Jay's line of sight, the latter trying desperately to start the van. Then, feeling sick with guilt, flipped the robot's head forwards and wrenched out a few wires and computer chips. The nindroid went limp at once. He dropped him to the ground, hands shaking. These chips contained vital programming, if lost, Zane could never be rebuilt._

 _"Yeah, nice one!" Felix called, he could see the other agent approaching. He had had enough. He turned to the van and pulled on the handle on the outside, activating the flight mode. The van shot into the air, Jay giving a short scream of surprise. From this angle, he would be able to see everything. Lloyd didn't look up. He couldn't let the other man see his face. After what seemed a lifetime, the van disappeared._

 _"What did you do that for?" Felix cried, looking furious. He didn't reply, simply knelt over Zane, placing the computer chips onto the ninja's chest. Even though he knew the chances of the robot's survival were slim._

 _"You traitor!" Felix suddenly gasped, and he swept his sunglasses away from his face in a gesture of anger. His eyes were vivid with hurt, fear and confusion. "I thought we were friends, Monty? I thought we were going to be HEROES!" His hands shook on the gun, he knew he was on the verge of shooting or running. He feared both. Fast as the van he had just propelled into the air, he grabbed Zane's fallen gun and pulled the trigger._

 _Felix stumbled, a shot going through his stomach. He gasped in pain and fear._

 _He shot again._

 _And again._

 _U_ _ntil Felix was filled with bullets and unmoving. Only then did he cast the weapon into the undergrowth and let the tears fall._

 _..._

Cecilia gasped in fear as the furious man's finger curled around the trigger. "You don't want to do this!" She begged. "Just... imagine how mad you're boss will be!"

"Do you honestly think I CARE?!" The man demanded. "David was everything, and now everything is NOTHING!"

And he pulled the trigger.

To Cole, running out of the trees in panic, after hearing the sound of the explosion, it looked like disaster. Then he gasped as he saw something else:

The man with the gun was thrown back and the bullet bounced off Cecilia's forehead in a sudden black burst. It then flew towards the agent and buried itself in the man's forehead. He jerked, then went limp.

Cecilia stumbled backwards, panting in disbelief. Cole ran forwards.

"What the hell was that?" She gasped.

"Oh, I think I know." Cole said, unsmiling. "You took Emma's necklace, didn't you." Cecilia felt a rush of guilt, and touched the golden piece of jewellery which she had hidden under her collar.

"I'm really sorry, I just-"

"That's fine." Cole gave a brief smile. "After Emma... left, I thought it would never be worn again. So I put it away with the rest of her clothes. But that necklace," He touched it briefly. "I got it enchanted with a special charm, protecting the one I loved most. But to make it personal, I had to tie that protection to my element." He grinned. "Before Roy was born."

Cecilia was still confused, but they had to end the conversation, as screams and roars erupted from behind the smouldering cabin.

 **I gather now that the flashback scene is way longer than the present day scene, but I felt I owed it to you guys to know where Zane is.**


	22. Chapter 21

**As I just finished my other fanfiction 'The Lightning Phantom', I'll probably update a bit more often with this.**

It hadn't occurred to Lauren that she'd be fighting for her life, but no, bullets were being fired. It seemed they were now wanted dead or alive. Lauren shot a burst of flame at the agent coming her way, who dived out of the way in time, and raised her gun, but suddenly gripped her head in pain.

"Thanks Bobby!" Lauren called in relief. Gideon was hurling energy bolts, Bobby was holding his head tightly, eyes squeezed shut, Harvey and Delia were nowhere to be seen, presumably invisible. Lauren was tiring, her element was failing her. She knew she couldn't keep going forever.

"Lauren!" Came a shout from her left, and an energy bolt hit and incinerated a few bullets which had been heading her way. Lauren didn't have time to shout her thanks to Gideon, as the battle was still raging. She saw another agent running towards her, and wearily raised her hand to shoot flames...

The agent was blown backwards by a shot to the head, and fell to the ground, unmoving. Lauren looked towards the direction the shot had come from, and saw to her relief, her father running over, a rifle in his hands.

"Get back from my kids, you slimy BASTARDS!" He yelled, brandishing the gun. The agents seemed to decide simultaneously that they had better things to do, as they all turned and ran.

"Are you guys OK?" Lauren's father asked, turning back to them. Harvey came into view ten meters away and came over to them.

"We are now." Gideon sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead. Kai turned to him.

"You're dad's on his way." He told the teenager, as Delia became visible on the ground over to the right. She picked herself up and came over. Kai grinned at her. "She got your pow-"

It all happened at once.

One of the agents had stopped. They had turned while Kai was distracted. And they had fired.

The bullet smacked into the person's forehead. They stumbled. Everyone else gasped. But it was too late.

...

Lloyd watched Kai run off towards the sounds of gunfire and screams. He wanted to follow immediately, but his body wouldn't let him even move. He was frozen on the spot, so many memories of gunfire, none ending well. Gideon's birthday, facing all those agents, having to leave his friends. That night, when Felix died, the last time he ever saw Jay, killed Zane. When he helped Cecilia and Roy escape, revealed himself as Lloyd Garmadon in the ranks, he still felt the pain in his eye where David had scratched it just like Lloyd had done to him. An eye for an eye. Too many battles in his life, wearing him down gradually. Wearing him down until there was nothing left.

Lloyd grabbed the gun he had been given, and shook his head angrily to clear it. The others needed his help. He took one step in the direction of the fight.

"Monty!"

He froze. That voice...

Very slowly, Lloyd turned. He felt his heart sink in his chest. There was no way out now. He was dead.

"Hello Jackie." He sighed.

...

"Roy!" Cecilia screamed. She couldn't help it, seeing Roy's unconscious form on the ground, several DarkFlight agents advancing, and a lion stood between them, roaring. Tabitha.

"Get BACK! Cole yelled, fumbling in his belt for a gun.

"Cole Brookestone!" An agent exclaimed, smiling. "I wondered whether to believe or not you had re-joined the ninja, seemed such a lost cause."

"Shut up!" Cole growled, grabbing the gun and pointing it at the agents.

"Still tortured mentally by your scar?"

"I said, SHUT UP!" Cole yelled, brandishing his gun. "God, if I had a scythe..."

"Roy?" Cecilia whispered, creeping over to Roy's limp form. He was alive and breathing, but unconscious. Too much smoke, Cecilia decided. She grabbed him under the arms and began to drag him away.

"Stop there, Master of Wind!" An agent cried. Cecilia spat out an oath she was rather proud of, but never would have said in front of her mother. Cole raised his gun, but an agent let fly a shot over Tabitha's head, knocking the gun out of his hand. These agents were obviously good shots. Tabitha gave an angered roar, and launched herself at the agents, but at the last moment, became an emerald green snake, which snaked forward and bit an agent on the ankle. He gave a moan of pain and sank to the ground.

"The great devourer!" Cole exclaimed. "Oh, the CLEVER girl!"

Cecilia had no idea who or what the great devourer was, but she knew it was enough distraction for her to get Roy out of here, and to safety. She dragged the teenager's unconscious form away from the fighting. Roy stirred briefly.

"Cess?" He murmured.

"Yeah, it's me." She whispered, dragging him around the side of the cabin. A few DarkFlight agents seemed to be having a shoot out with some people at the other side of the clearing, Cecilia recognised the two female ninja, along with the other woman whom had arrived along with Josh. She jumped as Roy gave a sudden cough and sat up.

"Are you OK?" She asked, kneeling down next to him. He gave a nod.

"Yeah, fine, where's Tabitha? She was-"

"She's fine, she's a great fighter. God, what a mess. We've all gotta get out of here."

"Cess," Roy grabbed her arm. "Look." He pointed upwards and Cecilia looked upwards. Her mouth fell open.

Ten different coloured dragons were soaring above the battle sight, roaring, spitting out lightning, or plants or smoke... Elemental dragons.

"Cool!" She gasped. "It's Shade, he must have brought them to help us!"

"Good." Roy stood up. "Because we're going to need it!"

 **Next chapter will be packed with drama and action, I promise!**


	23. Chapter 22

**By the way, the song from chapter twenty two was 'The Light Behind your Eyes' By My Chemical Romance. A good band.**

Jackeline Fairchild stood in front of Lloyd, dressed in all her DarkFlight gear. But she was different from all the rest. She never wore the dark glasses, and her gun was tucked out of sight in her belt.

"Monty." She said again. "Nice to see you're alive."

"Don't call me that!" Lloyd spat. "Don't you ever call me that!" He took a step back. "I am done, being your bitch! I am done with being DarkFlight's bitch!"

"Don't be like that!" Jackeline said, her voice earnest. "Yes, the others were asses to you, and I made sure they got punishment. I would have killed David if the ninja hadn't got there first."

"It wasn't the ninja." Lloyd told her. "It was Cecilia Wood, one of the bravest elemental masters out there. No matter how hard you try, you will never crush that bravery out of them, not one of them. So give up."

"I though ninja never quit."

"You're no ninja."

"And you are?" Jackeline gave a slight smile and took a step towards Lloyd. He wanted to move away, but he was frozen to the spot, captivated by the woman's words. "Face it... Lloyd. You're no longer the teenager who defeated the Overlord. Nor are you the man who defended the princess. Your years of working with us have turned you into one of us. You can't fight it, nor can you hide from it. You are an agent, Agent Montgomery, or Agent Garmadon, if you'd prefer."

"No I'm not." Lloyd said in a fixed voice, though sweat was beading on his forehead.

"Yes you are." Jackeline came towards him and took his hand in her's. Lloyd wanted to pull away, but he was still frozen to the spot. "What happened to us, Lloyd?" She asked, her eyes free from lies. "You used to love me."

Lloyd pulled away, scowling. "I never loved you!" He said stiffly. "Truth is, I used you as a distraction from my problems." He gave a small laugh. "Yeah, that's right! You're nothing to me! My heart belongs to the Empress of Ninjago, and there it shall stay!" He grinned triumphantly at the women's face. Jackeline gave a gasp of fury.

"So you lied!" She snapped. "When you said you loved me?"

"I have only ever loved Harumi." Lloyd told her. "Never you. You were a distraction, nothing more."

"Oh yes, from your problems." Jackeline's tone was malevolent, but her face was a mask of hurt and anger. "Separation from your son, your depression, murdering your friends-"

"SHUT UP!" Lloyd yelled. "I..." But he had no words to defend himself, every word Jackeline had spoken was true and she knew it.

"Come on Lloyd." Jackeline said with a trusting smile. She placed a hand on his arm. "Come back with me. Join the others. Fulfil your destiny."

Lloyd knew the choice. Kill her or join her. It should have been easy. But he was stuck procrastinating for a few moments, before he gave a sad sigh. He had made his decision. He knew where he belonged. What he had to do.

...

Tabitha transformed herself back into her human form and sat up. The DarkFlight agents were on the ground, some bleeding, some simply lying still. She shuddered. She'd never used her power to kill anyone before.

"Good work kid." Roy's father came over to her, giving her a hand up. She took it gratefully.

"It's not over yet." She sighed. "I can hear a battle." Roy's dad groaned.

"Cecilia took Roy over there," He pointed. "We can-" But his words were cut off by a burst of gunfire.

"Come on!" Tabitha cried, and they dashed round the side of the cabin, and almost tripped over a crouching figure who was watching the battle.

"Josh!" Tabitha gasped in delight. He turned and smiled.

"Hey Tabby!" Cole and Tabitha crouched down beside him. The battle was raging, the dragons, the three women and the agents.

"We need to fight too." Tabitha sighed. "But those dragons, where did they come from? I've never seen any dragons in Ninjago!"

"That's because they're not real dragons." Cole said in a low tone. Both the teenagers looked at him. He was watching the dragons soar uncannily through the air with an expression of confused wonder on his face.

"Come again?" Josh asked.

"They're not real dragons." Cole explained. "They're elemental dragons, created from an elemental master's energy. I used to be able to do that, before my power got passed down to Roy."

"So what you're saying is, I can create my own personal DRAGON!" Josh exclaimed. Cole nodded. "AWESOME!"

"Quiet!" Tabitha told him. "If they find out that we're here, we'll get dragged into the fighting too!"

"We need to help them though." Josh argued. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"

...

"We can't just sit here forever and do nothing!" Cecilia exclaimed, but Roy clung onto the back of her jacket.

"No! It's too dangerous!" He protested. Cecilia frowned, surprised. Roy had always seemed so tough, keeping his heart closely guarded, cool and confident. Now there was fear in his eyes as he faced the idea of Cecilia going out to battle.

"I have to, Roy!" She told him. "I'm not a coward, and neither are you! We have to defend ourselves just as much as them!"

Roy took a deep breath. "Will we be OK?" He asked. Cecilia nodded.

"Of course. Worry about yourself more than me, I've got this." She briefly showed him the necklace, then (ignoring Roy's look of confusion), turned to the battlefield.

Are you coming?" She asked.

"Sure." Roy grinned, little rocks beginning to form in his hands. The pair stepped forwards, but stopped in their tracks as an explosion of red light soared into the air.

"Lauren?" Cecilia wondered, but this was something different. Cecilia silently used her power to carry both of them onto the cabin's roof so they could get a good view. Roy suddenly gasped and pointed over the other side of the cabin.

"Dad!" He cried happily. Cole looked up and smiled.

"Roy! You're OK!" Cecilia saw Josh and Tabitha there too, and smiled. She used her power to get them onto the cabin's roof too.

"What's happening?" Josh whispered, shuffling over the tiles.

"We're about to find out." Tabitha said.

Over on the other side of the battlefield (which had fallen gradually silent) a woman in DarkFlight gear stood, one hand holding a flare gun, the other wrapped around the neck of the person whose temple the gun was pressed against.

Lloyd.

"Oh come ON, this AGAIN?" Skylor cried in annoyance.

"Yeah, never seems to get old, does it?" Lloyd called back, a small grin on his face. The woman kicked him in the ankle.

"Shut up!" She hissed. "You betrayed ME, you do not get to talk to your friends!"

"What happened?" Chamille called over, re-loading her gun.

"I tried to shoot her, but it turns out, she's a pretty hard target." Lloyd sighed, earning himself another kick in the ankle.

"They have history..." Nya muttered to herself. "Lloyd, who is this woman?"

"Oh, forgive me for neglecting to introduce her..." Lloyd murmured to himself. Then to everyone else. "This is Jackeline Fairchild. Head of DarkFlight."

 **Yeah, more drama packed than action packed, but I'm not great at predicting future chapters, or writing fight scenes. I tend to skip over those. Sorry.**


	24. Chapter 23

For a moment, everyone was stood, shocked, unmoving. Well, apart from the DarkFlight agents, who already knew this. But it was plain to them not to continue the battle.

"I wasn't aware DarkFlight even had a leader." Nya exclaimed. "I thought it was just one big cooperation of evil!" A few people laughed.

"Shut up!" Jackeline snarled. "I have your friend at gunpoint, and you'll do what I say!"

"No they won't." Lloyd told her. "David already pulled this trick, the ninja aren't going to swap the elemental masters for my life." He looked at the ground. "And it's not like I deserve it."

"Who said that's what I wanted?" Jackeline said sweetly. "No, I shall learn of the elemental secrets, but not through this method. No, I brought you here so anyone who still believed in you could see who you truly are. A pathetic coward." She grinned evilly. "Then they can watch you die."

"Don't you DARE!" Skylor gasped, stepping forwards, but Jackeline's finger tightened on the trigger. Though it wasn't a normal gun, a flare at that close range would blow Lloyd's head clean off.

"She's evil!" Josh exclaimed, as they watched the scene from the badly damaged cabin's roof. "I don't believe it, she's pure evil!"

"Where's Gideon when you need him?" Cecilia wondered aloud. "In fact, where are they, Lauren, Harvey, Bobby..."

"I don't know." Tabitha said plainly.

"Shhh." Cole whispered.

"This is ridiculous!" Nya exclaimed. "You won't kill him, there's no reason, it won't help your cause!"

"Oh, it won't be the first ninja's blood I've spilled." Jackeline said with a smile. "Yes, it was me who shot your husband. I believe he was crying when he died."

"LIAR!" Came a scream, but surprisingly, it wasn't Nya.

It was Cole. He jumped off the rooftop in a great flare of anger and came storming onto the battlefield.

"Jay Walker did NOT die afraid!" He yelled, pointing straight at Jackeline. "He died fighting to protect those who needed it, like a true ninja!"

"Like you'd know about being brave." Jackeline smiled viciously. "The last words you ever said to your friend before I shot him, what were they again? You're an anxious prick, Jay, I hate-"

"Actually, it was, you're a good father Jay. Good of heart, and no one could ever expect anything more." Cole told her, his face set, his one working eye regarding her with steadfast hatred. "Or at least, along those lines."

"True, every word." Nya murmured, coming to Cole's side. "Cole is a true ninja, just like Jay and just like Lloyd. Now hand him over."

"If only Zane was still here, he'd blast her into an evil, ugly popsicle." Cole said with a grin. "Did you kill him too?"

"Oh, not me." Jackeline said with a vicious grin. Lloyd felt a sudden blast of fear strike him. He was done for, the ninja would never forgive him. "But I know who did." She grinned down at Lloyd. "Why don't you let your friends know who they can blame for the death of one of their fellow ninja?"

Lloyd looked at the ground. He was glad Gideon wasn't here.

"It was me." He mumbled.

"What?" Cole exclaimed.

"It was me." Lloyd looked up, his eyes earnest and full of hurt. "I murdered Zane! I was there, the night Jay was shot, when they were bringing Tabitha back to the safehouse. I killed Zane, watched Jay get shot, and then I killed the only agent who ever showed me kindness." He looked at the ground again. "Go on." He sighed. "Shoot me. I don't care anymore."

"Lloyd..." Nya's mouth fell open. She didn't have any words to say.

"Oh my God." Skylor gasped. Cole said nothing, he couldn't. Lloyd would never do this... would he?

Lloyd slipped out of Jackeline's grasp and knelt on the ground.

"Whatever you have to say, say it now." He said softly. "Loud. So I can hear and know truly what you think of me." Jackeline laughed.

"There we have it, what I came here for!" She exclaimed. "Now they can see you in your true form, see who you truly are, Agent Montgomery!"

"No!" Cecilia whispered, willing for the ninja to do something, say something. But nothing happened. They just watched the horrible scene play out.

"I have to do something!" Cecilia exclaimed. "I have to!"

"No!" Josh grabbed her arm. "Cecilia..."

"No." Cecilia said. "No more running. No more hiding. I am an elemental master and I will not stand for this!" And with that. She stood and leapt off the cabin roof. Under her, just for a second, emerged a huge, glowing green dragon, which roared, then Cecilia hit the ground. Everyone looked her way.

"Stop!" Cecilia yelled, striding towards the ninja. She stood in front of them, and looked straight at Jackeline.

"Cecilia, no-" Cole began, but stopped. He knew as well as his son that Cecilia could not be deterred.

"How dare you!" Cecilia spat, pointing right at Jackeline. "How DARE you try and ruin the ninja team even more than it has already been fractured! You point a gun at this man," She gestured towards Lloyd. "Like it's nothing! But that is a life, right there, a noble life of a man willing to sacrifice everything for everyone else!"

"Cecilia, don't." Lloyd sighed. "I know it well enough, I'm a monster."

"No." Cecilia looked down at him. "You saved me, you gave up everything, your friends, your reputation, quite possibly your sanity, just to let your son live a happy life. That many other children whom you have no regard for, could live happy lives. If that doesn't make you a hero, I don't know what will."

"Shut up, girl!" Jackeline snarled. "Agent Montgomery is a coward, and an agent now. He shall die and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Not me." Cecilia told her. "Him. He can save himself. But I see you'll need some convincing that a person who has done bad things can be good, so," She took a deep breath and turned her face to the sky.

"First Spinjitzu Master!" She cried. "I know you're watching! Send me, my father!"


	25. Chapter 24

For a moment, it looked like nothing had happened. Cecilia looked at the sky like a fool expecting rain. Jackeline opened her mouth to laugh.

Then it happened. The sky seemed to explode with a golden light, and a huge lightning bolt struck the earth and for a moment, no one could see anything because of the blinding light.

Then it cleared. Cecilia released a long breath and opened her eyes. Her face cracked into a smile.

Cole's mouth dropped open. Nya and Skylor gasped. Lloyd's eyes opened wide in fear, and he scrambled away. Jackeline grabbed his arm as if to prevent escape, but the green ninja was too shocked to go anywhere.

"Morro!" Nya exclaimed. The ghost sure looked different, he glowed gold and seemed somewhat... kinder?

"What the hell is he doing here!" Cole gasped, looking at Cecilia. Morro and Cecilia ignored him.

"Why did you bring me here, Cecilia?" Morro asked, looking from Cole, to Lloyd, and back to his daughter again.

"Proof." Cecilia said sternly. "That anyone can be forgiven." She looked at Lloyd, who was gazing at Morro with panicky eyes.

"This man is my father!" She proclaimed. "He killed people, cursed Ninjago-"

"Possessed me." Lloyd whimpered. "Made me... hurt people."

"Yeah, that." Cecilia noted. "But I forgive him now, not just because we're related, but because he forgave himself and turned himself around!" She looked at Lloyd. "And I know you can do the same. You don't need to blame yourself."

Lloyd looked at the ground. "Why is the first spinjitzu master interfering now!" He muttered bitterly. "Yeah, could have helped out a lot sooner, granddad!" A small tree root snaked from a nearby tree and flicked him in the ankle. He gave a jolt of surprise. "OK, sorry!"

"I knew I wouldn't be able to help you." Morro said. "I'm the last person he wants to see resurrected." A small grin suddenly crept up on his face. "Actually, I'm the second to last. So I brought along the last person he wants to talk to."

Morro looked at the sky, and another bolt of lightning hit the ground. Another golden figure appeared at a crouch, then straightened up. Cecilia had no idea who Morro had just summoned, but the ninja clearly did. Their mouths dropped open.

"Oh My..." Skylor murmured.

"God." Nya finished.

"Not God." The old man said. "No, I have less power." He strode over to Lloyd and looked straight at Jackeline.

"Release him." He told her. Jackeline looked fearful, but did not release Lloyd. "Go on." The old man said. "Believe me, he's not going anywhere." He shot a stern look at the woman, who let go of Lloyd and took a step back. Lloyd fell to his knees, his hands shaking.

"Dad." He whispered. The old man took his hands and knelt in front of him. Lloyd's shoulders began shaking.

"Son." The old man whispered. "Lloyd-"

"I messed up." Lloyd sobbed. "Everything I did wrong, I hurt too much..."

"Calm yourself." The old man whispered. "Lloyd, you have done nothing to hurt people, you-"

"Don't lie!" Lloyd cried. "You must have been watching from the departed realm, you must know what I've done! How I pulled out Zane's wires! How I shot Felix!"

"YOU shot Agent Gently!" Jackeline exclaimed. The old man shot her a look, and she fell silent again.

"You said," Lloyd shut his eyes, clinging to his father's hands. "Whatever man I wanted to be was up to me." He gave a little laugh. "You put your faith in me, and I let you down. I failed you, father."

"You could never fail me." Garmadon whispered. "I will always be proud of you, no matter what. But right now, the only person who can save you, is you. You still have a choice of who you want to be. You may be thirty seven years old and have a phsyco ex-girlfriend pointing a flare gun at your head, but there is always a choice for you to make." He smiled. "And I trust you to make the right decision."

Lloyd nodded, and wiped his face. He smiled.

"I won't let you down this time, dad. I promise." Garmadon smiled back at him.

"We have to leave now." Garmadon told him. "But I'll always be with you."

"And I'll always be watching you." Morro muttered to Cecilia. "Whether you like it or not."

"Sheesh, over protective father at last!" Cecilia muttered, but she was smiling. The old man stepped towards Morro, and with one last look at the shocked... well everyone was shocked, they disappeared.

"What the fuck just happened?" Roy whispered from their perch on the rooftop.

"I wish I knew!" Josh sighed. The two boys gazed at the scene as the two ghosts disappeared.

"Come on!" Tabitha hissed, sliding down the roof tiles. Josh and Roy shrugged, before following her. They crept over the battlefield, towards Cecilia.

"What the hell just happened?" Nya wondered aloud. "Anyone?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Cole sighed. "Lloyd?"

Lloyd was still knelt on the ground, looking at his hands. Then, slowly, he stood up.

"Lloyd Garmadon is back, baby." He murmured, then gave the ninja a wicked grin. Suddenly, Jackeline darted forwards and seized him from behind.

"This changes NOTHING!" She screamed. "I don't care about your sudden self-worth, you shall DIE and I will get my hands on the FREAKING elemental masters!"

The dragons in the sky withdrew a little, presumably on Shade's orders. Get them out of here, to safety. Like anywhere would ever be safe again.

"Where's everyone else?" Cecilia asked one of the female ninja. "Where's Lauren and her dad? I don't see them up there."

"I don't know." The ninja muttered back. "Perhaps they're still on the road somewhere-" But her words were cut off by a scream. Everyone turned at once to the screamer, who was Skylor. Her hand had gone to her mouth and she pointed with a weak hand...

To the edge of the clearing. Where a small group of people had just emerged. Bobby and Harvey walking silently, side by side, Gideon and Lauren, she was leaning heavily on him for some reason. And Kai, carrying something.

"No!" Skylor screamed, and ran to her boyfriend. Kai's eyes were red from crying and he fell to his knees, his dead daughter in his arms.

"Shit!" Cecilia gasped, stupefied. She barely acknowledged Roy, Josh and Tabitha coming to her side, she ran towards Lauren, who was crying in Gideon's arms.#

"Lauren!" She cried, and Lauren fell into Cecilia's arms.

"Cecy, Delia, she..." Lauren gasped before breaking down again.

"Gideon, your father needs you." Cecilia told Gideon, who looked at the situation, the ninja standing in front of Jackeline, who had yet another gun to Lloyd's head. He turned back to Cecilia.

"I can't!" He sighed, and Cecilia noticed how out of breath he was. "We've been fighting, I've got, like, zero energy." He flopped onto the ground and put his face in his hands. "Why?" He moaned. Cecilia frowned, and quickly sat Lauren on the ground. She straightened up, still frowning, and turned back to the main battlefield.

"Stay here." She murmured to Gideon and Lauren, then jogged back to Roy, Josh and Tabitha.

"We have to fix this." She told them. "Or we all go back to DarkFlight. What's it going to be?"

"We're going to fight." Josh said bravely.

"We're going to win." Tabitha agreed.

"We're going to kick ass." Roy grinned. Cecilia nodded.

"Yeah, and here's how."


	26. Chapter 25

**Jeez Steampunk Wilson, it's been forever, what's been going on?**

 **Well Steampunk Wilson, been ill, haven't we? And writer's block's a b****. But chapter twenty five's here at last!**

 **WARNING: The following flashback contains vivid details of depression and self harm, so if this makes you uncomfortable, please skip over it.**

 _He dropped the knife in agony and clutched his wrist, the blood already seeping over his fingertips. He moaned in pain, but it was nothing compared to the pain of his heart. He knew he should stop, kick the knife away. Or maybe pick it up and cut over and over again, until he bled out. Let them find him, here, in this little room. Let them clean up the mess they caused._

 _But already he was picking up the bandages to mend his wounds, his fingers instantly working before his brain gave the command. Why though? Why bother? What did he have to offer? He was spent, a broken toy, useless. Ninja never quit? That was a saying from when he was young, naïve, just like Jay attempting not to swear for his whole life. He had soon found out just how easy it was to slide into the blackness. His hands were too preoccupied to wipe his eyes._

 _"Look at me now, dad." He muttered bitterly. "Yeah, look at your precious son, a sobbing failure. Look destiny, look what you chose to defeat Ninjago's greatest evil. Yeah, you abandoned me after that destiny was done. Who's gonna look after me now?" He gave a small laugh, which turned into a sob. No one. Not even himself._

 _He finished binding his cuts and wiped the knife free of the scarlet blood, sliding it up his suit sleeve again. It was a knife with a lot of history, he had cut David's eye out with it, been presented with it by his father after he defeated the overlord. His father had told him that he had used it in the serpentine war to kill many an annacondrai, and been presented with it from his own father, who had carried it all the way from the first realm. The knife had been forged in the Oni steel works, very strong and very sharp. He knew this by the stinging in his wrists._

 _"Hey, who's in there!" Called a deep voice, making him jump and hurry to stuff the bandages up his sleeves. There were a few drops of blood on his shirt cuffs, damn. He pulled the blazer over them. "Some of us have to pee!" The man outside continued._

 _"I, erm, I'm having my period!" He called out the first thing that came into his head in a squeaky imitation of a woman's voice. It all went quiet, it sounded like the man had walked away very quickly. He sighed and finished cleaning up. Alone. He was alone._

 _..._

Kai passed the body of his daughter over to Skylor and turned away. He felt so much he couldn't ignore. When he had just become a ninja, he had constantly worried about the safety of those he cared about, the guys, his sister, before realising that he didn't need to worry for them, as they could take care of themselves. So he had saved his worrying for a near death experience. But Delia, she had never been able to fight, she had never meant to fight. Now she lay lifeless in her mother's arms, her blood red hair slightly stained with the real thing. Just like Jay's hands, stained where they had touched his chest. It seemed Kai's lack of worrying had only lead to death and destruction.

Kai turned to Jackeline, who was holding the now, struggling Lloyd in her grip. "YOU!" He screamed, and she turned towards his anger with mild interest.

"You did this!" Kai screamed, his eyes welling up again. "You shot my daughter, you murdered Jay, you took Lloyd! You caused all this!" His fists shook with anger and hurt and pain. "You are the monster here, not Lloyd, YOU! You are the pathetic coward, you are the killer, you are the agent!"

Kai was so caught up in his rage and so many tears had filled his eyes, that he did not see what was going on behind him, didn't notice until Nya screamed.

Rising from the cabin was a gigantic figure, made from shadow, but burning, at least, that was the closest thing you could describe it as. It rose from the ashes and ruins of the cabin. Wind blew towards it, blowing all around the figure, as if to draw strength to its summoning. Eventually, it stopped growing and, although it didn't seem to have a face, it's eyes glowed white.

"HALT!" The figure boomed in a terrifyingly loud voice, every synabal echoing a roar.

"W, what ARE you?!" Cole gasped.

"I AM THE FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER!" The figure boomed. "AND I HAVE COME TO PUT AN END TO THIS RIDICULOUS FEUD!"

...

From her place on the ground behind the smoking remains of the cabin, Cecilia grinned. It was all working perfectly to plan. They had managed to recruit Bobby, Lauren and Harvey, though Lauren was still hugely upset about her sister. The figure was made from her fire, turned to shadow with Josh's power. Both were stood with their eyes shut in concentration. They had a huge job and the weight of the whole scheme rested on their shoulders. Behind the figure, Roy had raised a column of stone with Harvey balanced on top, invisible. He held two large crystals which Roy had created, and now made them burn with light, the eyes of the figure. Cecilia was obviously using her wind power to make it seem like a great power had been summoned. She also provided the voice, through a megaphone Roy had created out of stone. Tabitha roared behind every synabal to make the voice more powerful. Bobby sat on the ground, using his power to make everyone believe that this was the real 1st Spinjitzu Master. In short, it was the perfect magical con.

"JACKELINE FAIRCHILD!" Cecilia shouted into the megaphone. The woman jumped and accidentally loosened her grip on Lloyd. This time, however, the green ninja did not hesitate. He kicked her sharply in the shin and whirled round, punching her hard in the collar bone. She stumbled backwards as Lloyd darted away. He gave a small smile. If there was one benefit from his time at DarkFlight, it had caused him to get really ripped.

"What?!" Jackeline snarled back, scowling. She hadn't come this far to be scared by a shadow.

"YOU ARE THE CAUSE OF ALL THIS DESTRUCTION!" Cecilia yelled, grinning, then gasped as a horrible sound ricocheted out of the megaphone. Everyone froze and the shadow flickered momentarily before Josh and Lauren regained their concentration again. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed, however, so she continued. "YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SHALL EITHER SURRENDER OR BE DESTROYED BY MY IMMENSE POWER!" For a moment, Cecilia felt triumphant, like her plan had worked. Then, crushingly, Jackeline began to laugh.

"I would think the real first spinjitzu master would be rather ashamed of the elemental descendants messing around with his name!" She declared, and darted towards Lloyd, but he jumped away.

"Oh no, Jackie! I'm done playing your reindeer games!" He stepped towards Cole, Nya and Kai. "These are the people I care about and the people I'm going to stick with." He looked towards them. "If they want me to?"

"Of course." Kai said with a smile, and he stepped towards Lloyd. "I'll always forgive you."

Jackeline scowled, and turned towards the figure the elemental masters had created. "You may as well give up, children! I will win!"

"Ninja never quit." Cecilia spat through her megaphone.

"As you wish." Jackeline said with a smile, and she pointed her flare gun straight at them, and fired.


	27. Chapter 26

bnBobby was failing in his department and he knew it. But it had been a testing day and all the stress had manifested itself in the form of a lack of strength and his powers were greatly diminished. But, just as he heard the plan begin to fail, a vision suddenly flew into his head, an explosion, fire everywhere, Harvey...

"Harvey!" Bobby screamed, just as the explosion sounded overheard and everyone lost control. The shadowy fire figure burnt, and disappeared, and Bobby screamed as a burning figure seemed to leap off Roy's stone column and fell thirty feet before crash landing in front of him.

"Harvey!" Bobby cried again, and his best friend began to frantically roll around on the floor to put the fire out. Eventually, the flames died and Harvey lay panting, his clothes in burnt scraps, flickering in and out of visibility. Bobby was one of the few people who knew what Harvey actually looked like, so he wasn't surprised, and hurried over to him.

"Are you OK?" He asked. Harvey gave a small nod.

"I think, argh, my leg!" His trousers had been pretty burnt (revealing a pair of bright yellow boxers), and Bobby couldn't see his leg.

"You gotta go visible for me." He told Harvey, who nodded, and came into view. Harvey was black with curly hair and very small ears, giving him a monkey like appearance. His leg was badly bent in the wrong direction.

"I think you've broken it." Bobby told him. Harvey swore.

"Whatever I've done, it KILLS!"

"Come on." Bobby put his arms under Harvey's shoulders and began dragging him over to the others. Lauren and Josh looked tired and sweaty, Tabitha had been cut in the leg by a falling piece of rubble from the stone column, Roy looked flabbergasted, and Cecilia...

Cecilia was evidently furious.

"Stupid effing JERKWADS!" She gasped angrily, her hands curled into fists.

"Cess..." Roy muttered warningly, but Cecilia shook her head.

"No, I have had ENOUGH of that foul woman!" She spat, and stood up.

"What are you... doing?" Josh panted faintly.

"Doing today what should have been done yesterday!" Cecilia said darkly, and she strode towards the battlefield.

...

"ROY!" Cole screamed as the figure evaporated and the explosion blew into a massive flameball. He tried to run towards the flaming cabin, but Nya grabbed his arm.

"NO, Cole, it's gone, and you don't even know Roy's there!" She protested. But Cole was beyond reasoning he was so panicked about his son. He pulled away from Nya's arm, but stopped as a figure became visible. He squinted, but it was too short to be Roy. The smoke cleared. It was Cecilia.

"For FUCK's SAKE, what is your goddamn PROBLEM!" She screamed, striding down from the wreckage, looking absolutely furious. Everyone frowned or gasped in surprise. Cecilia, undeterred as always, marched straight through the clearing and straight towards Jackeline Fairchild. The woman gasped, and raised her gun, but Cecilia frowned sternly and shook her head.

"No. No more!" She spat. "For once in your life, LOOK and see all the damage you've caused!" She gestured wildly around at the smoking wreckage of the cabin, the staring, injured agents, Delia in her mother's arms. "All the hurt," She gestured to Lloyd. "All the losses." She gestured to the ninja. "All the damage." She gestured to the smoky remains of the cabin. "And for what? Why are you so desperate to get a hold of us, at such a cost? There is no more Master of Ice!" Kai put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "There is no more Master of Amber." Skylor stroked her long dead daughter's hair. "All of the elemental masters have lived in fear their whole lives, their destinies abandoned! Why?" She looked straight into Jackeline's eyes. "Come on. Tell me. Why?"

Jackeline looked down. "I, ever since I first heard about the elemental masters I wanted to know how their power came about, what made them so special. Perhaps to make them into a fighting force to gain power to steal their power..." She sighed. "It all feels so empty now."

"Selfish!" Cecilia spat. "You ruined the lives of so many people for your own stupid desires. And you're not sorry, I can tell!" Jackeline scowled.

"True, Cecilia Wood." She snarled. "I have no intent of giving up now." She gripped her flare gun tightly, but did not raise it. Cecilia turned to the DarkFlight agents, who had been silently watching the whole ordeal. They were either amused or scared, just like normal people. They were people.

"All of you!" She shouted. "Aren't you sick of blindly following a woman with stupid desires? What did she promise you, money, fame, power? Because all those things don't matter in this world. What matters is love, friendship, FAMILY! When was the last time any of you had a family, or saw your family?"

The DarkFlight agents fell silent, looking shiftily at each other. "Five years." A woman said quietly. "And that was only brief." All of the agents began looking at the ground and murmuring things about the families they had, or wished for.

"All of you have wasted almost two decades of your lives!" Cecilia cried. "Chasing a childish dream. No one can contain the elemental masters. That's one thing in life you should give up on." She smiled. "You all have a second chance, though. Turn your lives around. Don't be like Agent Cooper, or his brother. Be like Agent Montgomery, who never gave up on his dreams, and as a result, his friends never gave up on him." The agents frowned, then small smiles began to creep up on the crowd, not the evil smiles they had had before, but kind smiles, hopeful smiles, happy smiles.

"No, no, NO!" Jackeline cried. "All of you, shoot her, I don't care, we don't need all the elements! We can-" But the rest of the sentence never left her mouth, as a bullet shot through the air and smacked straight through her forehead. A small trickle of blood trailed down her forehead as she fell to her knees, then landed face first in the hard ground. Cecilia gasped and looked around. No one was entirely sure where the shot had come from, whether it was an agent, a ninja, or an elemental master. And it was unlikely anyone would ever know.

"Oh My God!" Nya was the first to gasp, and fell to he knees, completely overwhelmed. "Is it?" She didn't dare say the words.

"It's over sis." Kai said quietly, and a smile began to gradually creep up on his face. He suddenly leaped into the air and whooped. "IT'S OVER!"

Cheers began to rise from everywhere, from the agents, the elemental masters, everyone got to their feet and ran to hug everyone around them. Agents began to mingle with the ninja and elemental masters, shrugging, apologising. Everything was good, all of a sudden, everyone was happy. Just like when every mission ended.

Like when the dragon chief was vanquished.

Cole had the same feeling as he had had back then, left out, feeling alone. He sighed, and turned to the rubble of the cabin. Cecilia had ran back there, and she didn't seem upset. Which could only mean...

Cole took off at a run to the cabin, and saw the figures behind it, Tabitha, Lauren, Josh...

Roy.

"Roy!" He cried, and the teenager looked up. A rare sight, his face cracked into a smile.

"DAD!" He a cried, and before Cole could run to hug his son, his son ran to hug him.

It was such a surprise that Cole was completely shocked, frozen still for a moment, then wrapped his arms around Roy.

"Thank god you're OK!" He sighed happily.

"Meh, you know me, I'm not going anywhere." He said with a grin. Cole laughed out loud and released his son.

"I just can't believe it's all alright again!" Cole sighed. "We can go back, get Charly, maybe even track down Emma..."

"Or we could move." Roy suggested. Cole frowned.

"Move?"

"You know, closer to everyone else." Roy said with a grin. "I can tell you want to catch up with your friends, dad. And maybe I should keep alongside mine." He turned back to Cecilia, Josh, Tabitha, everyone grinning back in their overwhelmed relief. "Yeah, we need to stop being so isolated."

"I agree." Cole told him. "As of next week, the Brookestones and leaving Dark-Rock cottage!"

"Yeah!" Roy cried in delight, and the pair high-fived.

 **DISCLAIMER!: This is not the final chapter, don't worry, there's more to come! :)**


	28. Chapter 27

Gideon sat up from his spot on the ground. He had been totally zoned out of the action, but blinked his exhausted eyes blearily open and looked. Everyone seemed happy, even Kai and Skylor, the agents seemed to be chatting normally, what the heck...?

"Gideon." Came a familiar voice, and he turned to see Lauren coming over to him, smiling even though her face still held remnants of her tears. "Are you alright?"

"Uh-hu." Gideon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "What, what's going on?"

"It's over!" Lauren exclaimed. "Cecilia was amazing, she turned the entire force of DarkFlight against it's leader, and there's no more running, we're safe!" She smiled so wide and Gideon felt a grin creep up on his face, bigger than any smile he'd ever smiled before. He was safe, he could get to know his dad, maybe meet his mother...

Gideon and Lauren were so overwhelmed by their happiness that they fell into each others arms and Gideon hugged her tightly. Having Lauren so close was so overwhelming, reminded him of his own desires, of the night when his father had been dying on the floor...

Just do it. Face your fear.

Gideon leaned in and kissed her.

For a moment, Lauren was totally shocked, not because Gideon was doing this, but because he seemed to have read her mind and predicted her next move. He drew away quickly as if he'd done something wrong.

"Gideon..." Lauren smiled at his terrified face, took it in her hands and kissed him again. Eventually, the pair drew away from each other, smiling in an embarrassed way.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Gideon asked quickly.

"No property pro-nouns." Lauren said sternly. "But yes." She leaned in and kissed him again.

...

Cecilia eventually managed to fight her way out of the congratulating mass of people and towards her friends. "Whew." She sighed, and hurried over to the one person who was looking earnestly at her. Josh.

"Hey, Cecilia." He said with a grin. "You, you were amazing. Just, thought you should know..." He looked at the ground.

"Well, when you have passion on a subject, you can talk as much as you want." Cecilia said with an embarrassed smile. Josh took a deep breath.

"Um, Cecilia, you know I... I was wondering..."

"I know you fancy me, Josh." Cecilia said quickly. He gasped. "And I'm sorry." She sighed. "But I don't feel the same way." She flushed red and looked at the ground.

"I kind of guessed that." Josh said with a grin. He ducked his head. "I can tell, the way you look at-"

"Are you OK?" Cecilia interrupted. Josh nodded.

"In fact, yeah, you're not the only one for me." He leaned in close to her. "I mean, have you seen how HOT Tabitha's gotten lately?"

"Josh!" Gasped Cecilia, even though she was grinning. "Last week she was half your age!"

"That was last week." Josh reminded her. "A LOT was different last week." The pair hugged.

"We have GOT to keep in touch." Cecilia said with a smile. "I assume you'll be going to live with your uncle."

"Yeah, I suppose." Josh sighed. "But what about you?"

"I'll find somewhere." Cecilia told him, and reached inside her shirt collar, bringing out her necklace. Once it had been engraved with the name _Emma_. But now, as the master of the element had changed, so had the name. "But one thing about my future's clear." She grinned at him one last time, then hurried off.

Roy stood, watching his father make his way back to the rest of the ninja. It seemed that no one was in a hurry to leave, there might even be a party that night, which would be fun. Cecilia came up towards him.

"Roy?" She asked. He nodded.

"Cess-" But his words were cut off as Cecilia leaned her face up and kissed him.

For a moment, Roy was completely stunned, then realised 'this is what you want, idiot!' and kissed her back. His arms gently placed his hands on her back. After what seemed like forever, they parted.

"How did you know?" Roy exclaimed.

"It's complicated. But I feel the same." Cecilia told him. And it looks like we're not the only ones..." She pointed over at Lauren and Gideon, who were making out already over by the trees, Josh chatting to Tabitha, looking casual, but his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his overalls, a sign of nervousness.

"I'm glad for them." Roy said, and he smiled, not a cocky of sarcastic smile, but a happy, overjoyed one. It suited him.

"I am too." Cecilia said.

...

It had been alright for a while, but eventually it had all gotten too much for Nya, and she had broken away from the crowd, away from the cabin and into the woods. The little building had been destroyed, it looked like Jay had gotten the burial he deserved. She sighed and leaned against the tree. She missed him now more than ever. He would be laughing, telling bad jokes, being with her. Nya wiped the tears from her eyes. She had to stay strong for her children, but would give anything just to head Jay's voice again, have him next to her...

"Nya." She jumped. No, her mind was playing a cruel joke on her, but she had to look, had to, just in case...

There he was. Glowing gold, but smiling at her in the same way he always did.

"Jay!" She gasped, and tears ran down her cheeks. He came towards her, gliding a little more than he would usually, and took her hands in his. They were lighter than normal, but not cold.

"What's the matter?" He asked. "Has death ruined my good looks?" Nya choked out a laugh through her tears.

"No, you're as beautiful as ever, it's just, this is it. Proof. You're actually dead." Jay put his golden hand on her cheek.

"Yeah, I guess so. But, I know you here this all the time, but I'll always be watching over you, and the kids." He gave a sigh. "Cole told me I was a good father, but how would he know? I'm not a good dad to them, and now I've missed my chance."

"No!" Nya exclaimed. "Jay, you were always a good father. I will not let you slave through the afterlife feeling any different." She frowned. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I persuaded Lloyd's granddad to let one more person go through." Jay told her. "He wasn't very happy about it, he only meant to send Morro that one time, but I have my ways!" He grinned. Nya hugged him close.

"I wish you could stay forever." She whispered.

"So do I." He replied. Nya leaned up and kissed hm. For one moment, it didn't matter if he was a ghost or a mortal, it was her and Jay, Jay and her, forever.

Eventually, they broke apart, and it was just as it had been before.

"Do you have to go right now?" Nya sighed.

"Regrettably." Jay told her. "But, no matter what, I'll always love you and I'll always be watching over you." He grinned. "When you cook, when you work, when you're in the shower..." Nya gave him a mock punch and he laughed.

"Seriously though, I'll do my best to keep you guys safe." He told her. "Like Morro's been doing with Cecilia, Garmadon's been doing with Lloyd. I love you Nya."

"Dead or alive, I love you too." Nya told him.

"Despite that fact, you have my permission to re-marry." Jay told her. She shook her head.

"Jay, I could never-"

"If you want." He told her. "All I want is for you to be happy."

"I'll try." She told him. She noticed he was fading. "Jay, don't leave!"

"Tell Cecilia Wood that her father's proud." Jay said, his voice echoing. And tell the kids their daddy's going to all their baseball games and he's going to fix the score."

"I will." Nya grinned. "This isn't goodbye, though, not forever."

"Never." Jay called, his form fading rapidly, his voice fractured by the wind. "I'll never leave you Nya."

And then he was gone. Nya gave a great gasp and wiped her eyes.

"See you later, Jay." She whispered, and turned to go back to the others.


	29. Chapter 28

"Hey sis, where you been?" Kai called as Nya finished wiping her eyes, smiled and ran over to the others. Chamille had gone to meet up with Shade, so it was just the five ninja, only missing Jay. The death that had effected them all, but Skylor seemed to have become one of them. But that only made five.

Lloyd noticed this and sighed. "Guys, you probably already know this, but I'm really sorry about what I did. To Zane, I mean." He said, looking at the ground. Cole put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're not the worst here." He told Lloyd comfortingly. "I'm sorry too, for what I said to all of you. You're right Skylor, it's just a scar. Just one more scar from our past, that shouldn't change how I feel about you. And it doesn't, you're still the same guys I want to fight beside until the end of time." He grinned.

"Here, here!" Skylor said with a grin, and the six ninja took in the sunlight and each other's faces.

"Lloyd, I guess you should know this." Kai said eventually with a wide smile. "Zane isn't gone." Lloyd's mouth dropped open.

"You, you mean, he... where...?" He looked around wildly as if the nindroid would step out from behind a tree.

"You did a good job to disable him, Jackeline must have been proud." Nya told him with a small grin. Lloyd ducked his head. "But if there's one thing we all know about Zane, he's tough as hell. He's back in Ninjago city right now, Cyrus Borg's been replicating that irreplaceable data for years, but Zane should be able to go back online in a few more months."

Lloyd's mouth fell open once more and a shocked grin crept up onto his face until he was smiling ear to ear. "Really, you mean-"

"He's going to be OK, buddy." Kai grinned. Lloyd leapt up and punched the air in a sudden burst of happiness like he hadn't felt for seventeen years.

"So, what now?" Skylor asked no one in particular. "Where do we all go?"

"Well, we better track down all the old elemental masters first." Nya said. "Tell then the situation, and let them meet their kids."

"This is going to be great!" Kai exclaimed, grinning just as widely as Lloyd was. "But where do we go?"

"We do what we were always going to do." Cole told him. "Get our own houses, raise our families. Me and Roy are going to move out of our village, nearer you guys."

"Ninjago City!" Skylor suddenly exclaimed, and they all nodded in agreement.

"That's where the palace is!" Nya winked at Lloyd. He frowned in confusion.

"So what? What do I do?"

"Well I think we all know the answer to that question." Nya grinned, and everyone else joined in, smiling at the green ninja. "There is a certain Empress of Ninjago who would LOVE to see you again!"

Lloyd gasped and smiled.

...

Empress Harumi of Ninjago had adopted a similar ruling style to that of her parents, keep yourself to yourself and look after the kingdom from afar. She had kept herself secluded ever since she had taken up the role, sixteen and a half years ago. When she had been sure the ninja were safe and that Lloyd wasn't coming back. She sat day after day on her throne, lost in thought and memories. Today was no different.

Harumi was sat in her royal gear on her throne. It was a long, empty room that she was sick of seeing. She wished she could live in a normal house with a normal family, her parents giving the occasional phone call, having to give her son curfew and discipline him, yet staying fond. A husband, always there.

Harumi sighed and reached under her shirt for her necklace. It was a beautifully crafted silver locket, which she kept tucked away under her clothing so no one would see. She didn't want them to find out what it contained and give her pity. She had to seem strong. She had to remain strong. For Ninjago.

Yet Harumi flicked open the locket with the secret catch on the side and looked at the two pictures. One was a hand drawn sketch of Gideon as a baby, which Harumi had drawn from memory. She wasn't the best artist, but she had been determined to complete the task, and had done over a hundred attempts before getting it right. She wouldn't trust anyone else for the task.

The second picture was, of course, Lloyd. It had been taken over seventeen years ago, he was sat on top of a newly built flight mech, grinning, his long hair in his face, his eyes casual and laughing. Not like the last time she had seen him, enraged, holding the knife.

Harumi kissed both the pictures gently, and furiously blinked the tears away. Her son and the man she had once loved, both she hadn't seen in such a long time. She needed to overcome this, as it was unlikely she would see either of them again. It was too risky for the Empress to be seen visiting a hidden location in Ignacia, and Lloyd...

Harumi knew it in her heart. Lloyd was dead, and he was not coming back.

"Empress?" Harumi jumped and quickly stuffed the photo down her shirt again.

"Yes Hutchins?" She asked quickly.

"Two gentlemen are here to see you." The elderly guard told her. "I would have told the to get an appointment, but he insisted that it was urgent. I can always tell them to leave..." His tone made it clear that he would want nothing more than to do just that.

"No, show them in." Harumi sighed. Anything to make the day go by faster. Hutchins nodded and retreated back through the doors. Harumi stood up and came a bit closer to the entrance. She had had numerous visitors throughout her reign, none of which had been very important. It didn't seem that this would be any different, but oh well, might as well entertain the notion.

The door opened and the two gentlemen walked in.

They were very similar looking, which was what Harumi noticed first. Both were blonde haired, though the younger one's hair was longer and paler. He seemed familiar somehow, his freckles, his eyes, but Harumi couldn't place where. She turned her attention to the older man.

Her heart stopped.

Could it be, no, that's impossible, was it? He stood in front of her in a long sleeved T-shirt which seemed too small for his muscular frame, but he had managed to pull the sleeves down over his wrists. His hair was far shorter than she remembered, he was a little unsteady on his feet and his left eye had a nasty scratch over it, but all the same...

"Lloyd?" Harumi whispered faintly. He gave a small smile.

"Hey Rumi." He said. "I know it's been a while and I look a bit different, but it's still-"

His words were cut off as Harumi flung herself into his arms, tears already pouring out of her eyes.

"Lloyd, Oh My God, LLOYD!" She gasped, hugging him tightly to herself. Lloyd put his arms around her and held her close, like he had dreamed of doing for seventeen years.

"Rumi." He whispered softly, a tear trickling out of his closed eye.

"Lloyd, where have you BEEN?!" Harumi gasped, drawing back to look at him. "And what happened..."

"I did bad things, had bad things done to me, but all that matters now is now." Lloyd said with a wide smile. "For seventeen years I have dreamed of being with you again, and now it's happened, everything in my life is perfect."

"Oh Lloyd!" Harumi sighed, and she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Lloyd bent towards her, his hand placed gingerly on her back, but it seemed he was just as excited and happy as she was. Eventually they broke apart.

"So, who is-" Harumi began, but one look at Gideon and she gasped. "Oh My God, is it...?"

"Yes." Lloyd placed a hand on her arm. "This is Gideon Grandville Garmadon, Prince of Ninjago and... our son."

Harumi's mouth fell open and Gideon gave a small smile.

"Hey mum." He said quietly, still a little overwhelmed to find out that he was royalty. Lloyd laughed as he watched Harumi run to hug her son. He had been telling the truth, no more scars would appear on his wrists. He was with the woman he loved, who was with the son she had yet to meet. He had friends. He had a family. He was home at last.

...

It had all happened. Everyone was home. Lauren's parents and her cousins had bought semi-detached houses in the city, Gideon and Lloyd had officially begun to live in the palace, Harvey and Bobby, whose parents were both dead or unreachable, were sharing a flat and already attending one of Ninjago's best universities, Josh had moved into his uncle's ranch, and enjoyed life there with the horses, and Tabitha lived with her mother. Cole, Roy and Charly lived in the city also, in the same neighbourhood as Lauren. There was an empty house next door. A small one. It had two bedrooms.

Cecilia took a deep breath as she stood in front of the familiar house she had dreamed of for years. It hadn't changed, or had it? Was the door a different shade of green? Was that window slightly to the left? Had the roof really been that shape?

She shook her head. It was the place, the ninja had shown her how to get here, and the rest she had done herself. She checked her brand new phone one last time. A text from Josh: GOOD LUCK! She smiled and pocketed the machine. She wouldn't need luck. Right?

"Come on Cess!" She muttered. "It's the same door. Just knock."

Cecilia reached to her hair and pulled it back so her green streak would be showing. Her father was watching over her, she needed to do this, for him.

Cecilia stepped forwards, and knocked on the door.

Hands shaking, she waited in agony. She heard footsteps and the door opened. Her face cracked into a relieved smile.

"Hey mum." She said.


	30. Chapter 29

**FACEBOOK**

 **GROUPCHAT: ELEMENTAL BUDDIES**

GIRL/FIRE POWER

Hey guys, guess which besties got places at NNU

THE INVISIBLE MAN

Josh and Roy? ;)

SHADOW BOY

Hahahaha, funny, NOT!

TABBY

Actually, that was hilarious!

THE INVISIBLE MAN

:)

CECY/CESS

Idiot. Nah, me and Lauren!

IT'S YA BOY, ROY

Sorry, caught up babysitting, congrats Cess!

TRIPLE G

NNU is Ninjago National University, right?

TABBY

Yes

TRIPLE G

Oh, well done you guys. Gonna be roommates?

GIRL/FIRE POWER

Naturally

IT'S YA BOY, ROY

There better not be any kinky lesbian stuff ;)

CECY/CESS

TAKE THAT BACK OR I WILL SPRAY PAINT: LOSER, ALL OVER YOUR HOUSE!

IT'S YA BOY, ROY

OK, OK, I take it back.

Damn, benefits of living next door to your gf

SHADOW BOY

Arrgh, just fell off the horse again. :(

MIND MASTER

U OK?

SHADOW BOY

If I wasn't, would I be on Facebook?

MIND MASTER

lol, sorry

THE INVISIBLE MAN

Bobby, that is MY CHICKEN, stop eating MY CHICKEN!

MIND MASTER

Why are you messaging, AND yelling at me at the same time?

THE INVISIBLE MAN

Cos I can ;)

TABBY

So, Roy, your GF's leaving town, what you going to be doing?

IT'S YA BOY, ROY

Probs the same, sheesh, I'm 18 and dad still has me babysitting Charly!

GIRL/FIRE POWER

Well, she's not 18, is she?

IT'S YA BOY, ROY

Oh, hahahaha, FUNNY!

GIRL/FIRE POWER

Well, I have to babysit my cousins next door sometimes, and my mum's pregnant again, so I'll end up babysitting THAT as well. :(

Well, until I leave for uni, that is :)

CECY/CESS

Awww, a baby! Tell your mum I say congrats!

GIRL/FIRE POWER

Thanks, I will :)

THE INVISIBLE MAN

We're back!

TRIPLE G

I gather you had a fight, who won?

MIND MASTER

I roughed him up GOOD! :) :) :)

THE INVISIBLE MAN

You're cowering in the bathroom! You want a re-match?

MIND MASTER

I'm good ;) Mmm, chicken!

THE INVISIBLE MAN

GRRRRRR!

CECY/CESS

Oh, Josh, you had some news as well, didn't you?

SHADOW BOY

God, do I have to?

CECY?CESS

Yes ;)

TABBY

Go on :) You can.

SHADOW BOY

I asked Tabby out :)

IT'S YA BOY, ROY

FINALLY! What'd she say?!

TABBY

Erm, yes!

GIRL/FIRE POWER

That's GREAT! Congrats you two!

TRIPLE G

My dad's calling me, gotta go

CECY/CESS

How's he doing these days?

CECY/CESS

Gideon?

IT'S YA BOY, ROY

Yo Cess, he's offline!

CECY/CESS

Oh, mum's back, I gotta go as well. Talk in the morning :)

IT'S YA BOY, ROY

Or I'll come over to your place like a creeper muhahaha!

SHADOW BOY

Hey, I can still ride down there and kick your ass! :)

TRIPLE G

I'm back. Yeah Cess, he's WAAAYYY better than he used to be, though he still has all them scars, he's getting to be a great father :)

TABBY

Well, it has been four months. God, four months ago we all lived in a big secure house together, didn't know Roy or our parents, and I was 6!

GIRL/FIRE POWER

Yeah, it's been quite a ride, I lost a sister :( my cousins lost a dad, but we're all here, strong, pulled through. I'm proud of you all guys! :)

TABBY

Yeah, love you all xxx

SHADOW BOY

Well, like Cecilia said, we're elemental masters, strong, powerful and we never stop fighting :) We're coming to get you world, whether you like it or not!


	31. The End :(

**So, that's it guys. Whew, what a journey! I must admit, I'm a sentimental idiot and cried a little :( But this is (my opinion) the best fanfiction I've ever written, and my personal favourite. And I managed to work elements of another favourite TV show of mine, into it: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.**

 **The whole DarkFlight idea, the DarkFlight name (BlackWing spin off), and Felix's second name (Felix Gently)**

 **I love this story and I want to say thank you to all you reviewers, so, without further ado...**

 **Shades of X: Thanks, I love how the plot evolves too! One second, it's all fine, then an idea to kill Jay just pops into your head and OMFG, you're stuck until you do! I love seeing reviews like yours, so thank you so much!**

 **SweetHeart114: Just the one review, but I'm cool with that :) I love your profile picture, by the way, and thanks so much for reviewing!**

 **Star-Raven: Nice to see you like it, and of course, there's always the constructive criticism. Well, I'm no professional, yet. But thanks for your opinion :)**

 **RandomDragon2.0: You're a newer reviewer, but better late than never! I always smile seeing a new reader, so thanks for showing up and reading! :)**

 **Imacrazyninjagofan: Of course, my internet bestie, I love seeing your reviews on all my work and thanks so much for your long term support! :) I'm so glad you like my writing! :)**

 **CHEESEPUFF fg: Where to begin! On every single chapter there seems to be a review from you and I cannot thank you enough! And it's always nce to meet a fellow listener to MCR :) I have loved reading your reviews and I hope I can see you on one of my next stories!**

 **This goes for all of you as well, not just reviewers, but readers, you are all amazing and wonderful people and I can't thank you enough for reading my work! If anyone wants a sequel or a spin off/one shot type thing, let me know either by review for or PM, and I'll get onto it as soon as I can! I've got so many ideas for other works right now, so if you do, it could take a while.**

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading, love you all and stay tuned for more crazy stories by Steampunk Wilson. Bye for now :)**


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